So Very Addictive
by presea221
Summary: Five minutes alone with a girl is all the time that Aster Phoenix needs to make her his. And Alexis Rhodes is no exception to that rule. But after an unplanned tryst, could there be hope for something more to develop between these two? Rareshipping.
1. Chapter 1

There are some days in your life that you think are just as ordinary as any other at first. Yet their true significance isn't revealed until later. I know this to be true myself because I remember such a day in my life. It was the day that turned out to be one of the most important in my life. It was the day I first met _him_.

It was the first day of our second year at Duel Academy, and Jaden had already been challenged to a duel by a new student. Some things never change, right? How wrong I was about that. Little did I know that this was the start of _everything _changing for me.

When we arrived on the scene of the duel, I got my first look at Jaden's opponent. He had an average build and height, maybe a little shorter than some other boys his age. His longish hair was a striking shade of silver, coming down at the ends and parted in a way that somehow looked well on him. The features of his face were like those you would see on a male model. He had high cheekbones along with perfectly symmetrical proportions of every other part of his face. And his eyes were a lovely shade of dark-blue. To top it off, He was wearing a white suit outfit complete with a black dress shirt underneath the jacket and a white and blue tie. It was an odd combination, yet he somehow managed to pull it off. But if he was a student, then why wasn't he wearing a school uniform for one of the houses? And why wear such formal attire here in the first place? It was like a detail that stood out in a "What's Wrong with This Picture?" game.

Normally, I didn't let myself be affected by a boy's looks. That didn't mean that I didn't notice them at _all_, but for some reason, this was different. There was something almost angelic about this boy's appearance. That was the best way I could describe it. But it wasn't just that. I somehow had the feeling that I had seen him somewhere before. But wouldn't I have remembered it more?

"_You can call me A.P." _The boy had said when he introduced himself to Jaden. It seemed such a strange and simple name for someone who stood out as much as him. Nevertheless, I tried to push the growing suspicion out of my mind and focus on the duel instead.

If A.P. had seemed unusual in terms of his appearance, his dueling skills sure weren't anything remotely similar to that. His first move was only to summon the ridiculously weak Ojama Yellow monster card. (No offense to Chazz, who would actually use strategy when it came to these cards.)

But it wasn't long after that when things started to get weird. Slowly, the "What's Wrong with This Picture?" game started to make more sense. It was like a puzzle that was slowly filling in its pieces. Yet at the same time, I got the feeling that there was still a whole lot more. A.P. started playing ridiculously good, bringing out the powerful Archlord Zerato fairy type monster among his field spell, The Sanctuary in the Sky, to destroy all of Jaden's monsters.

Archlord Zerato's graceful angel wings along with how the area had been transformed to resemble the gates of Heaven itself only added to my earlier observation of how this boy had looked angelic. I must have been staring with my mouth hanging open a little, because at the moment, A.P.'s brief glance towards his and Jaden's audience focused on me. It was for less than a minute, but he flashed what looked like a somewhat amused grin towards me. I couldn't help it; my face heated up for a moment in reaction.

It was after the duel following Jaden's somewhat surprising victory that more details fell into place. A.P. was actually Aster Phoenix, world-famous celebrity pro duelist. I must have probably remembered his face from a duelist magazine or TV commercial. Yet he had come here to duel Jaden with a makeshift deck of random cards thrown together from a few packs. It didn't make sense. And yet I still remember how I wondered briefly if I was missing something else here, if Aster would come back. How I had blurted out to Jaden that I thought Aster was cute without even knowing what had made me want to say that in the first place. At the end of the day, none of it had made any sense, so I was able to put it all out of my mind easily enough. It wasn't until much later that I would find out just how important Aster would become to me. For this was the day that my angel had fallen into my life…


	2. Chapter 2

Alexis walked at a brisk pace down the coast of the island, her thoughts racing angrily. Things just kept getting worse and worse lately. First, Jaden had lost his ability to see his cards and had left the island after his loss to Aster. Then Zane had turned into a sadistic dueling maniac. And to top it all off, Crowler and Bonaparte were still hell-bent on destroying the Slifer Red dorm. If Alexis did not win her duel against the opponent that they had selected for her-whoever it was-tomorrow, the Slifer students wouldn't have a place to live. She _had _to win.

_Jaden, where are you? _Alexis thought to herself in despair. If he would just come back and start showing his smile again, then it would be easier for her to feel more hopeful about the future.

Once she reached the harbor area, Alexis saw something that made her stop short. Aster Phoenix was leaning against the lighthouse with an unreadable expression on his face.

Alexis felt all of her anger spill out. What the hell was Aster doing here again!? Hadn't he brought enough misery to their lives already!? It was HIS fault that Jaden was gone and that Zane wouldn't even answer his cell phone anymore. A part of Alexis knew that her rage was irrational, but the sight of Aster standing there in the special place that she and Zane had used last year was the final trigger for her. She was going to let this jerk have it.

"What are you doing here back here again!? Haven't you caused enough problems already!? Why can't you just stay in your stupid Pro League now!?" Alexis practically shouted in Aster's face once she reached the lighthouse. She hadn't even bothered to introduce herself to him. She just blew up.

Aster looked surprised for a moment until he got a good look at the girl. He realized that she was the one from the photo that Bonaparte had sent to him, Alexis Rhodes. He also vaguely remembered seeing her hanging around Jaden and his friends during his previous duels with him.

_Heh. If she loses her cool this easily during duels, this will be even easier than I thought._ Aster thought to himself in amusement.

"Hello to you, too. You might want to ease up on the accusations there, though. It's not my fault that your pals couldn't handle losing to me and had their own personal little meltdowns. I duel to win." Aster said.

Alexis glared at Aster in frustration. She knew that it wasn't just losing that had affected Jaden and Zane. Aster somehow had a bad psychological effect on his opponents.

"You still didn't need to come back here." Alexis said coldly.

"Actually, I did. You know how you guys are in that ridiculous little feud with those clowns in charge right now to keep that dump you call a dorm from being demolished? Well, guess what? I'm your opponent tomorrow." Aster said with a grin.

Alexis blinked in shock. If she was dueling Aster, then how was she supposed to win!? He was a top-ranking professional duelist who had defeated both Zane and Jaden with ease. She didn't want to be pessimistic before the duel had even started, but she just didn't see how she could win this time.

"Yeah. I figured that you must be at least a little good since they were desperate enough to call me. Or maybe everyone else here just really sucks. It doesn't matter either way. I'm going to win, so I guess it's bye-bye red dorm." Aster went on arrogantly, clearly enjoying Alexis' reaction to his words.

"Fuck you." Alexis practically spat at Aster. How she had ever believed that he was cute-even for those fleeting moments-was beyond her now.

"If you insist, I will comply." Aster said teasingly. He was going too far and he knew it. But it was too late to stop now. He was on a roll.

"Stop kidding yourself! I'm not one of your stupid fangirls!" Alexis said furiously.

"I know. That's what makes this so much better." Aster taunted slyly.

That did it. Alexis raised her hand in an attempt to slap Aster across the face, but he was too fast for her. Aster quickly intercepted the blow and grabbed Alexis' wrists tightly. She gasped in surprise.

Alexis struggled against Aster's grip, but he was surprisingly strong. After a brief scuffle, he did something that shocked Alexis completely. Aster pulled her into his arms roughly and slammed his lips against hers.

For a moment, Alexis couldn't think. Her knees went weak as her body reacted to what Aster was doing. This was not how she had ever imagined her first kiss would be. Aster had her pinned against the lighthouse wall and was kissing her roughly. His tongue had relentlessly probed its way between her lips until it entered her mouth and they started to have a real make-out session. Alexis was surprised to find that she was enjoying every moment of it. She wrapped her arms around Aster's neck and then tangled her fingers in his hair, moaning into his mouth as their tongues continued to swirl around each other. Aster responded by starting to unfasten Alexis' white uniform shirt, his hands groping her chest in the process.

Immediately understanding where Aster's movements were leading him, Alexis suddenly broke away from his embrace, ending their passionate kiss.

"Stopping already? But we were just getting to the good part. What's wrong? Are you afraid of me?" Aster taunted Alexis in a seductive whisper. He knew that he would get what he wanted from her if he presented it as a challenge.

Alexis blushed furiously. She didn't like to admit it, but there was something very attractive about Aster's forwardness with her. This wasn't like the ridiculous love confessions, over-the-top compliments and swooning that she got from so many of the Duel Academy boys. For the first time, she was facing a boy who was bold enough to simply try taking what he wanted. It was almost like a competition, a duel within itself.

Alexis didn't respond to Aster's question with words. Instead, she grabbed his shoulders forcefully and pulled him in for another kiss...

xxx

_What got into me!? _Aster thought to himself in surprise as he and Alexis panted exhaustively from their encounter. He had never been irresponsible like that before to the point of not only NOT using protection, but almost losing control during sex and risking a pregnancy like he had just done now. Aster had slept with a few other girls while on tour with the Pro League before. But those times had mainly only been a way for him to avoid thinking about the more unpleasant worries that plagued his mind when he wasn't able to stay busy doing things like dueling or going after criminals at night. Sure, he was a teenage boy and he had hormones. But he tried to keep the one-night stands to a minimum. The last thing he needed was to be known as the slut of the Pro Leagues. But with Alexis, it was as if all his rules had flown completely out the window.

"That was incredible, Alexis…" Aster said once they had recovered.

"Yeah…" Alexis said in embarrassment. Turning shy again now that the sex was over.

"You're going to want to get yourself cleaned up, though. Wait here while I get you a towel." Aster said as he gathered up his clothes and climbed onto his yacht.

After Aster had returned and Alexis had dried herself off as best as she could, Aster spoke up again.

"You should come inside for a few minutes to clean yourself up and use the bathroom." Aster advised Alexis.

"That's okay. I'll be fine." Alexis insisted, feeling a bit awkward about the idea of entering Aster's private quarters, despite the intimacy they had just shared.

"No, it isn't fine. We just had sex, Alexis. If you don't take care of yourself properly afterwards, you could get a yeast infection. And I want you at the top of your game for our duel tomorrow. Not that it will help you against me. But still." Aster argued.

"Alright, fine. Whatever you say, Dr. Phoenix." Alexis grumbled sarcastically.

Xxx

After using the bathroom and cleaning herself up, Alexis stopped and stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

_What have I done!? _Alexis thought to herself in shock as the full realization of what had just happened finally hit her now that the euphoria from her sexual encounter had faded. The reminder of the duel with Aster tomorrow had brought her back to cruel reality. She had just slept with and lost her virginity to the guy who was helping to take their dorm away, and she wasn't sure if she even really liked him or not. The phrase, "sleeping with the enemy", suddenly made a lot more sense to her than it ever had before.

xxx

"Feeling better now?" Aster asked Alexis carefully after she came out of the bathroom.

"Yeah, thanks. I, uh, guess I'll be going now." Alexis said awkwardly, not sure what to say to Aster anymore.

"See you tomorrow for our duel." Aster reminded Alexis with a smug grin.

Alexis silently groaned in frustration as she headed for the door. Before she could open it, she felt Aster's hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him.

"Don't worry about the dorm. Win or lose, those freaks have no legal claim to decide what happens to it, even with the Chancellor gone. Duel Academy is owned by Seto Kaiba, and I'm pretty sure that he wouldn't just grant them a permit to start bulldozing his own property down. I have contacts in the League who are close to Kaiba Corp., so I'll get the word out to them in the morning as soon as I can." Aster promised.

"Thank you, Aster…" Alexis said in surprise, touched by this sudden offer of kindness on Aster's part.

"Of course. Anything to help the fair princess in distress." Aster joked, causing Alexis to giggle.

"I'll see you in the morning, so try to get some rest now. And let's keep the fact that you ran into me tonight our little secret, okay?" Aster said. He then kissed Alexis softly on the lips before leaving her at the doorway in a daze.

_Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all… _Alexis thought to herself with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I meant to have this chapter out a few days earlier, but I had a power outage. Since no one writes AsterxAlexis, I decided to do it. I kind of like Fianceeshipping, depending on how it is written. But I have an easier time writing Aster and I think that he is 50 times hotter than Jaden. XD**

The next morning, Alexis stood in front of the school's entrance, waiting for the duel for the Slifer dorm to begin. Syrus, Hassleberry, and Bastion waited behind her, clueless as to the identity of her opponent.

"I wouldn't worry too much about your opponent if I were you, Alexis. At the most, I imagine that all they can give you is another Obelisk Blue student." Bastion said reassuringly.

"Yeah! And since you're the best that Obelisk has, this will be a no-brainer!" Syrus said enthusiastically.

"This is clearly a desperate tactic for the enemy camp! You got this, Private Lexi!" Hassleberry chimed in.

_Are they ever in for a rude awakening… _Alexis thought to herself miserably.

"So glad that you all could make it! This duel will determine the future of the Slifer Red dorm! Or maybe I should say its lack of a future." Bonaparte said nastily. Dr. Crowler didn't say anything, but he wore a somewhat uncomfortable expression on his face.

"We'll see about that! I don't intend to lose! Where is my opponent!?" Alexis demanded.

"That would be me." Aster's voice came from behind them as he finally revealed his presence.

Bastion, Syrus, and Hassleberry looked shocked. They had clearly not been expecting someone from outside of Duel Academy to be Alexis' opponent.

Alexis tried her best to act surprised. But she couldn't stop the way her heart raced and the light flush on her face as the memories of her encounter with Aster last night flooded her mind. There he was, as gorgeous as ever, with nothing in his expression giving him away. Alexis felt as if she could still feel his touch, the warmth of his skin against hers, even him being inside of her…

_Pull yourself together! You need to focus on the duel! _Alexis scolded herself.

"Very well, I accept." Alexis said determinedly. Even though Aster's reassurance to her about the dorm last night had somewhat lifted a weight from her shoulders, Alexis still planned to give this duel everything she had.

Xxx

Aster stared down Alexis resolutely from across the arena as they readied their duel disks. As much as he had enjoyed her company last night, he could not afford to lose his focus in this duel. Even if Bonaparte's claim of having a contact in the Underground dueling circuit who had information about his father's killer turned out to be a lie, he was going to take any lead that he could get. He only wished that there was a way that he could silently communicate to Alexis that she didn't need to worry about the dorm. He had spent all morning on the phone, but word had eventually gotten through to Seto Kaiba about the demolition plans. So when the time came, he would ready to take action.

"I've heard that you're good. Guess I'll see just how good. But you won't defeat me." Aster said.

"Don't take me lightly, or you'll regret it." Alexis warned Aster.

"DUE-"

"WAIT!" Jaden shouted as he ran into the arena.

"Jaden!" Alexis and her friends exclaimed in surprise. They all gathered around to greet him, the duel totally forgotten.

_Fuck it! Why did he have to show up NOW!? _Aster thought to himself angrily. He didn't know why, but he felt extremely annoyed by Jaden's interruption. And seeing Alexis smile warmly at Jaden somehow made him feel even more pissed off than he already was.

_It looks like I'll have to duel you again, Jaden. And I'm going to make sure that you LOSE again. _Aster vowed silently.

Xxx

Alexis breathed a silent sigh of relief after the duel was over. Ultimately, she was glad that Jaden had won. But at the same time, she was surprised to find herself feeling a little sad that Aster had lost. He had damn well given that duel everything he had, but it still hadn't been enough. Aster's reaction to his loss had been a lot better than Alexis thought that he would take it, but he still had to be feeling a little down.

Alexis looked at everyone else in the arena. They were mostly gathered around Jaden, still talking about the duel. Would they even notice that she was gone?

Before she lost her nerve, Alexis quickly exited through the back door to follow Aster outside.

Xxx

Aster walked down the path away from the main Duel Academy building, deep in thought. Even though losses were extremely rare for him, he still didn't particularly enjoy them. But he believed that Jaden had been right about one thing: his drive for vengeance had caused him to forget some other important aspects of dueling. The Destiny Heroes were a gift from his father, and he needed to try harder to remember just how much that connection meant to him. But despite everything, Aster still couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed about losing. Ultimately, he knew that he could always learn from his losses and avenge them since he knew how to keep his cool and be a good sport about them. But this time was somewhat different. _She _had seen everything.

_Why does this even bother me at all? I had sex with Alexis last night and that is all. She was going to go back to Jaden and the others either way. And besides, I have more important things to worry about. Like this Society of Light. Sartorius has clearly been keeping some things from me and I have to find out more. This is no time to worry about what one girl thinks of me. _Aster told himself firmly.

"Aster!" Alexis' voice came from behind, causing Aster to turn around in surprise.

"Hey. Didn't expect to see you after that. What is it?" Aster asked curiously.

"Oh. Um, I just wanted to tell you that I thought that you dueled really well back there. I mean, I know that losing can really suck sometimes, but when you can go as long as you did, that is saying something." Alexis explained.

"If this is just some "pity the loser" thing that you guys do, I don't need it." Aster said a bit more sharply than he intended to.

"It's not! I just thought that it would be nice for you to hear that you dueled well from someone besides your opponent. The same goes for the first duel. The only reason why I didn't congratulate you for that was because you acted like a total asshole after you won. But after seeing how well you took it this time and how you offered to help us last night, I'm starting to believe that I was wrong about you, Aster. You're not a bad person." Alexis said, blushing a bit at the last part.

"Well…thank you. I didn't expect to hear this from you, but I appreciate it all the same." Aster said gratefully.

"You're welcome. It's just too bad that we didn't get to have our duel." Alexis said thoughtfully.

"Who says that we can't? If you come over later this evening, then we can have our duel…in more ways than one…" Aster trailed off suggestively as he pulled Alexis closer to him.

Alexis turned bright red. Aster's lips were only a few inches apart from hers as he tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. The urge to be closer to him was almost overpowering. To take him up on his offer and let him have his way with her all night long… She had never felt an attraction this strong towards a boy before. A physical chemistry that made even the softest of his touches feel as if every nerve within her body were on fire.

Alexis quickly pulled away from Aster's embrace. As much as she wanted him, her heart told her that this was wrong. If she truly did like Aster, then this wasn't how she should start anything between them.

_I knew it… She doesn't want anything to do with me now that Jaden is back. What was I even thinking? _Aster thought to himself miserably.

Aster wasn't completely sure why it was happening, but for some reason, he felt drawn to Alexis. He had never met another girl who was as receptive to his touch as she was. The other girls that he had slept with had been more thrilled with the idea of sleeping with him than anything else. But Alexis was different. She had simply been excited by each new experience and was not relishing in the fact that she was being fucked by Aster Phoenix like the others always did. And it wasn't just that. She spoke to him with an honest conviction behind all her words, never worrying about displeasing him by accident. Maybe that was what he had secretly been wishing for all along? A girl who would treat him as himself.

"Look, Aster… Last night was…really great. Amazing, actually. But I really shouldn't have done that. That wasn't me. I mean, I don't want to be the kind of girl who just sleeps with anyone like that. I don't even understand why I did that last night…" Alexis explained carefully.

"I didn't mean for this to upset you or make things awkward between us, Alexis. But if you want to pretend that this never happened, I will understand." Aster said apologetically.

"No! I didn't mean that. And I can't pretend that it never happened. I wouldn't want to anyway…" Alexis said quickly. She blushed and looked away from Aster.

"So, what exactly are you saying here? That you want to date me?" Aster asked slyly.

"Well… Can't we just be friends?" Alexis asked cautiously, her face turning even redder from Aster's question.

Aster raised his eyebrows in surprise. It had been a long time since anyone had suggested this from him, but it sounded even stranger coming from a girl.

"If that's what you want, then I don't see any harm in that. If last night bothered you because you only want to sleep with someone that you are serious about, then I can respect that. But you shouldn't believe that you did anything wrong. We were simply making use of our situation to take care of our own needs. It was completely normal." Aster said practically.

_Easy for him to say… _Alexis thought, still at a loss from trying to completely figure out her feelings about last night and now.

"Well, this conversation got awkward pretty fast. Look, since I still have time before my next class, do you want to maybe, get something to eat?" Alexis asked hurriedly, not even sure where this was coming from. All she knew was that she was desperate to change the subject.

"Sure, why not?" Aster said, unable to stop himself from smiling at Alexis' suggestion.

_Looks like the duel is the only thing I've lost today. _Aster said to himself thoughtfully.


	4. Chapter 4

"I didn't know there was a place like this out here…" Aster said as he looked at the small airy wooden building on the beach. The sign on top read, "Surf and Turf".

"It doesn't serve a whole lot, mostly smoothies and other drinks. But I still like to come here once in a while since it's usually pretty quiet during the day with being a bit farther from the main campus." Alexis explained as they entered the restaurant.

Once they were seated at a table, Aster looked around the room. He and Alexis were the only customers. The windows were open, letting in a pleasant breeze. He could definitely see himself coming here more often if it was always this peaceful.

"Hello! Welcome to Surf and Turf! My name is Reena and I will be your server today! Are you ready to order?" The waitress who had come to the table asked with a big smile on her face that was directed solely towards Aster. Aster understood the look that she was giving him. It was the classic, "Oh-my-god-he-is-so-hot!" once-over that he usually got from girls. But what it made all the more amusing this time was Alexis' reaction. Her eyes looked as if they could have shot daggers at the waitress.

"I'll just have the green tea lemonade, thank you." Aster answered politely.

Reena looked at Aster as if he had just discovered a cure for cancer. "An excellent choice! I'll have that ready for you in just a minute!" She said with a wink. She then started to turn back towards the kitchen, completely forgetting about Alexis.

Alexis couldn't take it anymore. "Excuse me! But in case you didn't notice, I am STILL HERE, and I would like to order, too!" She snapped at the waitress.

"Oh! I am so sorry! What would you like to order?" Reena apologized in embarrassment.

"One strawberry smoothie, please." Alexis said coolly.

"Alrighty! Be right back, cutie!" Reena said to Aster after she finished writing down Alexis' order.

"What an airhead. Would it have killed her to tear her eyes off you for one minute to see that she had another customer!? Maybe she even did it on purpose." Alexis complained. She wasn't sure why she was so upset about it. It wasn't like she and Aster were a couple. But wouldn't it have been more polite for the waitress to just assume that they were before flirting with him like that? And more importantly, did she _want _people to assume that they were together?

Over by the counter, Alexis and Aster could see Reena whispering to the cashier on her way to the kitchen. She pointed not-so-subtly towards Aster and mouthed the word, "hot" to her friend, causing them both to giggle girlishly to each other.

"You don't like that that waitress talked to me like that." Aster said with a smug smile. It was a statement, not a question.

Alexis didn't answer. She simply glared at Aster in frustration.

"It doesn't matter anyway. She doesn't want me. None of them do." Aster said simply.

"You're joking. Right?" Alexis asked exasperatedly.

"No, I'm not. They want Aster Phoenix." Aster clarified.

"Is there a difference?" Alexis asked carefully.

"From him and who they think he is, yes. Although amusingly enough, I don't think that she even knew who I was." Aster answered.

"Will I ever get to see this difference?" Alexis asked before she could stop herself.

"You might, if I decide to let you see it. And it also depends on how long you are willing to stick around." Aster said.

"Is that a challenge?" Alexis asked.

"Maybe not for you…" Aster said quietly. For a moment, the look in his eyes turned intense. Alexis felt her face heat up.

"Here you go! One green tea lemonade and one strawberry smoothie!" Reena announced as she set the drinks on the table. Alexis couldn't help feeling thankful for the interruption this time.

"Thank you. This looks great!" Aster said with his best "celebrity smile", taking the time to enjoy Alexis' reaction again.

"Yes, very nice." Alexis cut in quickly with a very forced smile.

"Is there anything else that I can do for you?" Reena asked Aster sweetly. Alexis could have sworn that she had put extra emphasis on the word, "anything".

"No, I think we're okay for now. Thanks!" Aster said gratefully.

"Okay, I'll be back later with the bill!" Reena said, giving Aster another wink before departing again.

"Now I don't even want to come back here anymore." Alexis said sourly.

Aster laughed lightly at Alexis' comment. "You will have to get used to this anywhere as long as you are with me. But in this way, you and I are alike. I've heard enough to know that you have…similar problems with all of your admirers." He said with a knowing smile.

"Not to your degree. And I don't care about what they think. They don't even know me." Alexis said.

Aster had been around Duel Academy long enough to find out about most of the male student population's ridiculous infatuation with Alexis. If you were a professional duelist and celebrity like himself, then of course he could see it happening. But he did not believe that simply being a good duelist on an island where no one had any true dueling credentials should be a cause for enough worship to earn a title of "Queen of Obelisk Blue". Sure, she was pretty, but so were a lot of the other female students. Of course, he also knew that there was a strong amount of admiration for Alexis' other…assets. But had these children never even seen another girl sporting a D-cup size? Maybe Aster was a bit biased with how many girls he had been around, but he still thought that this was ridiculous. The only thing he knew was that his own attraction to Alexis was not so simple to explain.

"Just wait till you graduate. Then you will have to earn your fame like I did if you want any recognition to your name in dueling outside in the real world." Aster said.

"That is what I am looking forward to. Whether it is dueling or something else altogether. Having more goals, work that is rewarding in itself. But at the same time, I'm also afraid of it…" Alexis admitted.

"Don't worry. Since you already understand the upside of it, I'm sure you will be fine." Aster reassured Alexis with a smile.

xxx

Aster and Alexis talked for a little longer. It was mostly questions from Alexis about life in the Pro Leagues, but Aster didn't mind. This felt much more relaxing in comparison to whenever his fans asked him about his career.

"It looks like we're ready for the bill." Aster said. He started to take his wallet out, gathering together more than enough money for his own order.

"You don't have to do that. I can pay for myself." Alexis insisted.

"Outdated and somewhat sexist code of male chivalry says no." Aster argued.

"Aster, this isn't necessary…" Alexis argued back, wondering where this code of male chivalry was last night when Aster had practically shoved his tongue down her throat at the lighthouse.

"Just go with it, please. It feels uncomfortable for me if I don't do this." Aster said.

Before Alexis could argue any further, Aster flagged down the waitress. "Hey, we're ready for the bill now. Is that alright?" He asked.

"Sure!" Reena answered as she appeared at the table.

After the bill had been paid and Aster had left a tip, Reena came back as they were starting to leave.

"Here. We had extra from lunch, so I thought that you might like this. It's the least I could do after I botched your order like that." Reena said sheepishly. She handed Aster another strawberry smoothie, even though Alexis was the one who had ordered it before.

"You didn't have to do this. People make mistakes." Aster said reasonably.

"No, it's okay. We usually get extra stock. You can have it." Reena insisted.

"Well, okay, I guess. Thanks!" Aster said.

"Sure thing! Come back anytime! We don't get too many handsome guys like you as customers!" Reena said flirtatiously. She then walked back towards the kitchen area before Aster could respond.

"Here, you want it?" Aster asked Alexis as he offered her the smoothie.

"No, thanks. I think we both know that this was intended for you." Alexis said icily. She pulled the napkin under the smoothie away and jabbed her finger at the writing on it. It was obviously Reena's telephone number. Next to it was the message, "Call me anytime!", with a drawing of a smiley face next to it.

Aster couldn't help laughing. But he stopped before he got too far. He then quickly took the napkin back from Alexis and shredded it before tossing it in the wastebasket by the door.

"There. Happy now?" Aster joked.

"Ecstatic." Alexis said with a frown as she firmly nodded her head.

"Man, you're a tough one!" Aster said with mock seriousness.

Just as they were about to leave, Alexis saw someone approaching on the other side of the door that made her stop in her tracks.

"Dammit! It's my brother! Quick, we have to hide!" Alexis said frantically. She grabbed Aster's hand and pulled him off towards the side in the direction of the restrooms. How could she have forgotten that this was one of Atticus' favorite hang outs after surfing!?

"Why do I have to hide? I'm not afraid of your brother." Aster said indignantly.

"But if he sees you here with me, he's going to ask questions." Alexis said.

"So what? Are you ashamed to be seen with me?" Aster asked somewhat defensively.

"No! It's just… Oh, you don't understand!" Alexis said hopelessly. How to make Aster understand just what dealing with Atticus was like?

"Whatever. We'll do it your way this time." Aster said shortly.

Alexis mouthed a silent, "thank you" to Aster before they flattened themselves against the wall and tried to remain quiet.

"Hey there, Reena baby! What's up? Got room for some beach bums?" Atticus asked with a roguish wink. He gestured to the small group of girls standing behind him. They were all dressed in bikinis. Aster was suddenly very glad that he had chosen to listen to Alexis and hide.

"Atticus~ Of course we do! What would you like? The usual?" Reena asked excitedly as her eyes roamed over Atticus' toned figure in his wetsuit. She seemed to have forgotten that she had practically been drooling over Aster less than five minutes ago.

"You know it! Facing off against Old Bluey out there can really work up an appetite!" Atticus said. Aster guessed from the surfboard and his attire that Atticus had been referring to the ocean when he mentioned "Old Bluey". He was already starting to see just how different Atticus was from his sister.

Once everyone had ordered and the conversation had hit a lull, one of Atticus' girls asked him a question that made both Aster and Alexis lean in more carefully to listen. "So, Atticus. How is your sister? Is she still going through the tomboy phase with her whole thing about being in love with dueling?" She asked jokingly.

"Yup! That's my sis alright! Not an ounce of romantic interest anywhere in her blood, I'm afraid. Guess it all went to me!" Atticus joked.

"Didn't she have some sort of special duel today or something? I heard Crowler and some others talking about it." Another girl mused.

"That was the plan. But apparently, it was cancelled for her. She was supposed to duel Aster Phoenix, that pro duelist who came here before. But Jaden stood in for her because he wanted a rematch. Which he won, I might add. Pretty sharp kid, taking down the pros already. I swear, if he and Lex weren't both so dense, they might actually have a thing going for them." Atticus explained.

_Dream on, buddy! _Aster thought angrily, surprising himself with how worked up he was getting.

"Wait. Did you say that he dueled Aster Phoenix? I've seen him on TV a few times. He's hot! I wish that he would have won again!" One of the Atticus girls said, as if that was all that mattered in a duel. The others murmured in agreement. Aster smiled in embarrassment as Alexis just rolled her eyes from the comments.

"Tch. The guy is overrated. I'm just glad that Alexis didn't have to duel him. I don't want anyone like that making any moves on my sister. Not that it would matter if he did, though. Sis is too smart to get involved with someone like that." Atticus said.

_How does he get off saying things like that!? He doesn't even know me! _Aster thought to himself in outrage.

_Ouch, Atti. Very ouch. _Alexis thought to herself ruefully.

Xxx

After what seemed like forever, Atticus and the others finally left. Aster and Alexis walked out of the restaurant in silence after the coast was clear. After a few awkward minutes had passed, Aster spoke up.

"Okay, now I understand why you didn't want your brother to see me." Aster half-joked.

"Don't take what Atticus said personally. It's not that he wouldn't like you. He just doesn't like it when there are guys who are more popular than him. That is all." Alexis explained.

"I don't mind keeping this quiet for now. But eventually, he will have to deal with me, whether he likes it or not." Aster said.

"It looks like you are the one who has decided to stick around." Alexis said, referring to their earlier conversation.

"Well, I can't leave now. It looks like the fun has only just started for us…" Aster trailed off in amusement.


	5. Chapter 5

Alexis sat at her desk chair in her temporary room at the Slifer Red dorm while she worked at her laptop. It was early Sunday afternoon and you could almost taste the students' feeling of freedom from another day of classes all around the campus. Most of them were outside enjoying the fresh air or even still asleep. But for Alexis, staying inside to work on her homework felt just as relaxing as free time itself. She had always been an excellent student, but it wasn't simply because it came easily for her. As long as the subject matter and assignments weren't too dull, she enjoyed classes. Even doing homework could be relaxing when she felt like she could take her time on it on a nice day with a breeze and some tea to drink.

Unfortunately, the peacefulness of the afternoon didn't last. Alexis was startled when she heard what sounded like some kind of loud buzzing outside her window. It sounded like some kind of vehicle. Almost like a…bulldozer.

_No! It couldn't be… _Alexis thought to herself anxiously as the horrible realization of the situation hit her. She quickly jumped out of her chair and ran outside.

Xxx

Once she was outside, Alexis' worst fears were confirmed. There was a bulldozer along with some other wrecking equipment stationed off to the side of the dorm. But how was this even possible!? Jaden had defeated Aster yesterday, so they had won the right to keep their dorm. And hadn't Aster told her that he had informed Seto Kaiba of this already just in case? The thought of Aster made her heart sink. Had he been lying to her about this? What if he had only told her this because he had been hoping for another easy lay in return like the other night? Maybe once Aster saw that he wasn't going to get what he wanted again yesterday, he decided to move on? Alexis didn't want to believe that, but at the same time, she couldn't help feeling a sense of dread and hurt, even though nothing had really been proven at all yet.

"What in Sam Hill is goin' on here!? It's loud enough to wake a stegosaurus after a hunt!" Hassleberry exclaimed.

"What's with all of these machines!? I know this place is in need of some renovations, but this is most certainly NOT the way to do it!" Bastion said.

Alexis turned to see Jaden and the others approaching in from the opposite direction. And off to the side near the bulldozers, she spotted Bonaparte and Crowler.

"Hey, teach! What gives!? I won that duel fair and square, so you can't just destroy Slifer!" Jaden protested angrily.

"You may have won the won the duel, but we have decided that the continued existence of this dorm is too much of an educational hazard to all students and faculty on this island. Its atmosphere is much too carefree and relaxed to promote a proper learning environment. In fact, it is more likely to encourage students to…slack." Bonaparte explained with a devious smile.

"What do you mean "we"!? Dr. Crowler, you don't really agree with this, do you!?" Jaden asked sadly.

Dr. Crowler looked at Jaden and the others hesitantly. Before he was able to say anything, Bonaparte cut in.

"You know how important this is for the future of this school! Slackers like this have no place here! If you don't want to make these choices, you will never take the "Acting" out of your title of Acting Headmaster!" Bonaparte urged Dr. Crowler.

Dr. Crowler had finally had enough. "If doing things like this is what being Headmaster entails, I would rather be Duel Academy's janitor! These Slifer slackers may not be the brightest of the bunch. And they could certainly learn the importance of not sleeping during my lectures… But they are still my students, and I won't forget how many times they have taught me some important lessons that you can't learn in the classroom! So I will not allow you to continue this meaningless endeavor anymore!" He said to Bonaparte angrily.

"It doesn't matter what you think! My crew is already here to begin their handiwork! Like it or not, Slifer Red is done for!" Bonaparte gloated.

"Then I shall duel you for it! Whoever wins decides its future, once and for all!" Dr. Crowler said as he took out his duel disk.

"Very well." Bonaparte agreed as he started to activate his own duel disk.

"Just what is the meaning of this?" A low voice with deadly calm interrupted.

Alexis and the others turned around in shock to see none other than Seto Kaiba himself standing there. It had obviously been years since his tournament golden years of dueling Yugi Muto and other legendary duelists, but Kaiba still looked and sounded very much the same. His face had aged slightly, but he still had the same hard glare and piercing gaze that would frighten anyone who wise enough to understand his power. He even still wore the same long white trenchcoat that he had donned in Battle City.

Despite how incredible it was to see Kaiba himself on the island, Alexis noticed someone who caught her attention even more. Aster was standing a slight distance behind Kaiba. When he saw Alexis, he smiled reassuringly at her. The relief that she felt at Aster's presence and that he had kept his word flooded Alexis with happiness. She was grinning like an idiot, but was too happy to care if anyone else noticed.

"I don't believe this! It's Seto Kaiba!" Jaden practically shouted in excitement.

"I was informed that someone was going behind my back by attempting to destroy MY property at MY own school no less. I did not authorize any of this, but it ends now." Kaiba said coldly, ignoring the star struck gazes of the other students. He turned to face Bonaparte.

"Uhh, Mr. Kaiba, sir. I can explain! You see-" Bonaparte started to explain nervously.

"Shut up! I don't even know who the hell you are! Not that I really care. But you are going to dismantle this disgusting little operation right now. After that, you will leave this island and never come back. I'm also going to find who you work for and make sure that you are out of a job with them permanently and that they never recommend you to anyone else either. And if I hear so much as a peep about you coming back here or even the mainland in the Domino City area ever again, you better believe that I won't be so kind next time. Now take your crew and get the hell off my island unless you want to face the wrath of the entire Kaiba Corporation!" Kaiba warned Bonaparte.

Bonaparte did not need to be told twice. He turned tail and ran as fast as he could in the other direction.

Kaiba turned to face Dr. Crowler. "And you! Why did you even give any authority to let this happen in the first place!? You were put in charge while Sheppard is gone, and a whole dorm almost gets demolished on your watch! But it won't happen again because you're fired now!" He said.

"Wait! Dr. Crowler realized that he made a mistake in the end. That's why he challenged Bonaparte to a duel, to stop him from destroying the dorm. He may be tough on students like me, but that's only because he wants us to do our best. When push comes to shove, Dr. Crowler has always had our backs. Heck, he even went up against a vampire in a shadow game and got turned into a doll last year just to protect us and the sacred beast cards! Okay, he made a mistake this time. But doesn't the fact that he was able to realize that and try to correct it before it was too late prove that he knows what is more important now? I think that he deserves a second chance." Jaden spoke up quickly in Dr. Crowler's defense. The other students except for Aster murmured in agreement.

_Geez… They're all too innocent and trusting for their own good. _Aster thought to himself in exasperation.

"Jaden… That is more than I deserve…" Dr. Crowler said quietly, amazed that the one student who he had ridiculed and schemed against in the past was coming to his defense once again.

Kaiba looked at Jaden thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "Alright. But he is still on probation for a period of time. Just don't start talking to me about things like shadow games and vampires. I've had more than enough of that hocus pocus already." He said.

"Alright! Thanks, Mr. Kaiba!" Jaden said happily.

"Yes, thank you very much for granting me a second chance, sir. I promise that I will work hard and not give you any reason to mistrust me again. And thank you as well, Jaden and everyone. I was about to go along with a terrible idea, all just to gain more power. But once again, you and the others have shown me that there are things of much greater value. I'll be going back to the office now. Oh, and before I forget, we will be starting our next assignment tomorrow. It's a ten-page essay-double-spaced-on the mechanics and importance of non-battle phase trap cards versus battle phase only traps. Just thought I'd give you a heads up!" Dr. Crowler said, causing most of the students to groan. He then left towards the main building.

Once Crowler was gone, everyone turned to Kaiba excitedly and started barraging him with excited comments and questions.

"I can't believe I get to meet you like this, Mr. Kaiba! I entered your card designing contest a long time ago, and I was picked as the winner! And now I actually have them! Do you want to see them!?" Jaden asked excitedly as he held out his deck with the Neo Spacians.

"Oh. So, you were the winner? But how did you get those cards printed?" Kaiba asked somewhat suspiciously.

"Yeaah… Funny story about that. They weren't exactly…printed. You see, I somehow got sent to space on one of Jupiter's moons. That's where I met them at first, but they were still just card spirits then. At first, I thought I was going crazy or just having a really weird dream. But when I saw one of Kaiba Corp.'s satellites on the beach there, it all made sense. Neo Spacian Aqua Dolphin and the others knew that I had won that contest back then." Jaden explained.

The origins of the Neo Spacian cards had been bothering Aster for a time at first, too. Maybe it had been possible that Jaden had seen the creator of Duel Monsters while he was gone in order to obtain them. But Aster didn't believe that Jaden would ever lie about anything. He was too pure for his own good. With that conclusion and the fact that the Neo Spacians had to have come from somewhere, Aster found himself feeling less skeptical about Jaden's claim than he thought he would. After all, he had already proven that he could defy Sartorius' predictions. And surprisingly enough, Kaiba seemed to accept Jaden's answer as well.

"Again, I'd prefer not to hear about anything of that nature. Just make sure to take good care of your deck." Kaiba said with a rare smile.

"Thanks, I will! But since you're here, how about a duel!? It would be a super sweet to duel you with the cards that I drew for your contest!" Jaden exclaimed.

"Heh. You don't know what you're asking. Besides, I'm retired now. My sole focus is running Kaiba Corp." Kaiba said.

"Ahh, well! I had to ask!" Jaden said sheepishly.

"Um, Mr. Kaiba? I've been wondering about this for awhile now, so I figured I'd ask you now that I have the chance. Um… Why is the Slifer dorm so much more, uh, I guess you could say, "rustic", than Ra and Obelisk? Not that it really matters since I'm in Ra now, but I was just curious!" Syrus asked timidly.

"I had thought that that would be obvious. To motivate you to work harder, of course. If anyone couldn't put in the effort to study hard enough for the entrance exams or not know their own deck enough to do well against those sub-par test decks, then they shouldn't expect to get the good stuff right away. Instead of cursing their own fate, they should be grateful that they still have a chance for something better at the academy and strive to meet those goals. That's what becoming a good duelist is all about. Always aim higher if you want to be the best." Kaiba explained.

"But Slifer is awesome! How could anyone want to leave?" Jaden asked in bewilderment, causing the others to shake their heads or sigh in resignation.

"Mr. Kaiba, why is the only dorm for girls in Obelisk Blue?" Alexis asked Kaiba pointedly. It was something that had always bothered her. She didn't look down on any of the other female Obelisks as duelists, but she could still tell that there was a wide gap in dueling skill among her and some of her other peers. Wide enough to place some of them on the level of Ra or possibly even Slifer.

"Applicant number issues. Statistically, there is usually a much lower ratio of passing female applicants compared to the males each year. Certainly not enough to fill three separate dorms every year. So, we had to make some adjustments." Kaiba said bluntly. He was obviously uncomfortable with admitting to the fact that some of the female students were being placed above their real rankings just to avoid any complications with the numbers or other controversies that could arise from the ranking system.

"I see." Alexis said. She knew that this whole situation could have been avoided altogether if Kaiba hadn't made the decision to divide the students like this, but there was no way she was going to bring that up.

_Hey, Kaiba. I got a question for you! Why the heck did you approve of such a ridiculously risqué design for the girls' uniform!? Do you have any idea what it does to me to always have to see Alexis like this!? _Aster mentally asked the question that he could not bring up to Kaiba in irritation.

"Well, I'm afraid that's all the time I have for today. I have to get back to work and I'm already behind enough as it is thanks to that goon's shenanigans. Good luck in your dueling and make sure to study hard." Kaiba said. As he started to walk away, he paused in front of Aster.

"Thank you for informing me of the situation here, Aster. Also, I received the document you faxed me last week about the Charity Ball. Everything is in order and should be running smoothly in time for it." Kaiba said.

"Thanks! It looks like it's going to be as successful as last year, too. It's always a pleasure to work on these projects with you, sir." Aster said respectfully.

"We appreciate your assistance as well. I'll see you at it then." Kaiba said. He then took his leave.

"Wow! So, you know Kaiba, Aster!? That is amazing!" Jaden gushed.

"Well, I wouldn't say that I actually "know" him. I don't think a lot of people do. But I've worked on a few charity events with him and his brother since I've joined the league. Kaiba is a hero to orphans like us. It has been really great to work on things like the Charity Ball knowing that it all goes toward helping them and other underprivileged children. As intimidating as he can be, Kaiba's really a big softie when it comes to helping them." Aster explained.

"It sounds like he's not the only one." Alexis said to Aster with a teasing smile, causing him to actually blush.

"So, what exactly is this Charity Ball thing about? Is there dueling?" Jaden asked curiously.

Aster couldn't help smiling at Jaden's question. "That's the main event. It's nothing formal, but all the kids get new packs of cards at it and duel each other, and at the end, everyone gets more prizes based on all sorts of crazy categories that we make up. You know, things like "scariest monsters", "longest turns without bathroom breaks". That sort of stuff. That way, everyone feels like a winner." He answered.

"That sounds awesome! I wish we had those kinds of contests here… Too many people here are too focused on just winning. Something like this could show them that duels can still be fun either way. Do you think Kaiba would let us come to the ball?" Jaden asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'll see what I can do. It would have to just be you guys, though." Aster said.

"Thanks, Aster! I hope we'll get to see you there if we can. And Kaiba. It's just too bad that he's retired now. I bet everyone else at this would like to duel him as much as me." Jaden said.

"Don't you know? Being retired is just a convenient way for him to keep his title without the chance of losing it towards any promising younger duelists like us." Aster said.

"No offense, but you don't think that you would actually have a chance, do you?" Alexis asked seriously.

"Probably not. I'm not naïve enough to believe that I could just go in and defeat him. But where's the challenge in not trying at all?" Aster answered somewhat defensively.

"Yeah! It would be awesome, win or lose! But it looks like the closest thing I'll get to it was last year when I got stuck in the spirit world and dueled Kaibaman. I'll never forget that. It might as well have been a duel against Kaiba himself with the deck he was using. It had three Blue-Eyes and everything." Jaden recalled thoughtfully.

"Did you win?" Aster asked carefully. It was another one of those situations where he could not picture what Jaden was saying to be true, but at the same time, couldn't bring himself to doubt it either.

"Eh, heh, heh. No. He beat me in a few turns right when it looked like I was making a comeback. Those dragons just kept finding a way back. With that and the way he talked to me, it was like he was the real Kaiba. I dunno, it was almost like he had his spirit with him. I was glad to duel him. It helped me come back from my fears when they were hurting me the most." Jaden explained.

Xxx

After they had talked a little longer, everyone had finally gone their separate ways for the day now that the excitement was over. As Alexis started to head back inside, a small piece of paper fell out of her pocket. Surprised, Alexis quickly unfolded and read it. It read: _Meet me in an hour near the lighthouse for lunch. A._

Alexis felt her face heat up. How had Aster managed to put that in her pocket without her noticing? What was this supposed to be? A date? But she had told him that she only wanted to be friends. Either way, she knew that she was going to follow through with this. Aster had just helped to save Slifer Red, so she should at least meet him to say thank you.

_But it is not just that. You want to see him again. To get to know him even better. _Alexis admitted to herself. She had no idea where these feelings were coming from, but she was sure of one thing: It was getting harder and harder for her to avoid Aster, especially since she didn't even want to try to anymore…

**AN: Sorry for the wait here. I did not think that this would turn into over a three-thousand-word chapter. Not much AsterxAlexis focus here, but I felt like this scene was necessary. I threw Seto Kaiba in here because the Charity Ball is going to be used eventually and I could see him and Aster working together on stuff like this once in awhile since they are both famous orphan duelists themselves. And because he's just plain awesome. XD I hope that I did okay with writing him and the other characters here like Jaden and Crowler. Next chapter is AsterxAlexis relationship building/fluff! Thanks to all who are reading this!**


	6. Chapter 6

Alexis treaded lightly around the grassy area next to the harbor, her eyes scanning the place for Aster. He had said to meet him near the lighthouse, but he hadn't specified exactly how close to it he would be. When she spotted the lighthouse itself, she couldn't prevent the flush that spread over her face from the physical reminder of the things that they had done there together that night.

_Get your mind out of the gutter, Alexis! You know that that was not the right way to start a relationship. I need to get to know Aster a lot better before I can even consider us being anything more than friends, and I can't do that if we end up spending more than half of our time together rolling around in bed. Not that we even needed a bed… _Alexis mentally scolded herself.

Just when she was starting to worry if Aster had somehow forgotten about their scheduled meeting today, Alexis felt a light tap on shoulder that made her yelp in surprise. She quickly spun around to find Aster standing there with a mischievous grin on his handsome face.

"Where were you!? I kept looking all over around here and I never saw anything!" Alexis demanded.

Aster pointed to a large weeping willow tree not far from where the beach started. "Much better cover from the sun over there. And it will give us some privacy. Come on." He said as he motioned with his hand for Alexis to follow him.

Alexis followed Aster over to the tree somewhat apprehensively. If he thought that nobody would find them here, did that also mean that he was hoping to satisfy another type of appetite that lunch could not? He had proved that he had no objections with having his way with her by the lighthouse, but surely he wouldn't hope for the same thing here in broad daylight? Maybe she was getting paranoid, but the problem with Aster was that he was just so hard to predict.

Aster pushed a section of tree fronds aside to make a passage for them to enter through. "Ladies first." He offered with a smile that advertisers for whitening toothpaste would have killed to use.

As Alexis stepped timidly behind the curtain of willow, she finally spotted the lunch that Aster had mentioned in his note. A large blanket was spread over the ground. Next to a picnic basket were dozens of casual snack items. Potato chips, candy bars, packs of crackers, and two cans of soda were piled around the center of the blanket.

"Sorry that it's not anything fancier. Since I sort of planned this on a whim, the fastest way to get enough food was to just use the vending machines in the main Academy lobby." Aster admitted sheepishly.

"I don't mind. I think that this is…really sweet of you, Aster." Alexis said, blushing a bit from her compliment.

"Sweet, huh? And to think that just the other day you wanted me to go back to Pro Leagues for good!" Aster teased Alexis.

"Aster, I've already been through this with you. You proved that you were a decent guy when you went out of your way to help save the Slifer dorm. And I wanted to say thank you for that today. It really meant a lot to everyone. And to me." Alexis said gently.

"I didn't really do that much. Just got in touch with the man at the top. But I'm still glad that I could help you, Alexis. That was the whole idea." Aster said. Truthfully, he knew that he probably never would have bothered if he hadn't met Alexis the night before and started to develop feelings for her. But he wasn't going to let her know that specifically.

"Why don't we have lunch now?" Alexis suggested a little _too _quickly. The warmth that she felt from Aster's confession behind his motivation for helping to save Slifer made her feel like her heart would leap right out of her chest.

Once they sat down, Aster frowned a little when he saw that Alexis had chosen to sit all the way on the other side of the blanket and out of arm's reach from him. What was she afraid of? That he would try to initiate sex right here during the middle of the day?

"Why not have a seat over here next to me? Don't worry, I don't bite…_hard_." Aster joked.

Alexis felt her face heat up again at hearing the emphasis Aster had put on the last word of his sentence. Had he _meant _for it to sound as suggestive as it did? Either way, she couldn't bring herself to refuse Aster's request. He had once again turned it into a battle of the wills, and she wasn't going to back down from it.

Aster smiled triumphantly at his small victory as Alexis sat down next to him. But more than that, he wanted to reassure her that he did possess some self-control and was not a total pervert who was always trying to get some action like he had at the lighthouse. Even so, the urge to run his hands along the bare skin of Alexis' long, luscious legs was overwhelming and it took nearly everything he had to keep himself in check.

Once they started eating, Alexis decided to ask the question that had been at the back of her mind ever since he Aster had returned for the whole dorm fiasco.

"I meant to ask you this earlier, but I had almost forgotten with everything that had happened this morning. Just why did you agree to duel for Crowler and Bonaparte to get rid of Slifer in the first place? I mean, I can't see them being able to offer you anything that would make missing some duel time in the league worth it." Alexis asked curiously.

"But they did. Bonaparte told me that he had contacts with someone from the Underground dueling circuit that had clues about the person who murdered my father, and that he would get me in touch with him if I won the duel. Otherwise, I would not have even bothered to come back." Aster explained in a somber tone.

Alexis was stunned. She had not expected to hear something like that. But at the same time, it made perfect sense. The way Aster had stared her down at the arena. She had felt how strong his battle aura was. As if it could reach out and consume her and anyone else that stood in his way. His reason for fighting was even stronger than their desire to protect Slifer Red. Aster was strong because he was fighting for _someone_, not _something_. She suddenly felt angry. That disgusting little man had played on Aster's grief and love for his father just to further his own ridiculous agenda. And she was pretty sure that it would have all come to nothing even if Aster had managed to defeat Jaden again.

"You do know that that was probably just a big lie, don't you?" Alexis asked Aster bluntly.

"I do. It's not like someone like him would have had any clout like that." Aster said.

"Then why?" Alexis pressed, struggling to understand.

"Because I have to at least make myself _feel _like I'm trying to do something about it. Otherwise I'm afraid that I'll forget everything…" Aster trailed off, almost to himself.

For Aster, his biggest fear was that if he did not constantly try to find ways to keep his father as a part of his life, he would gradually become less important to his and anyone else's memories over time. Of course, he would never forget his father. But as the years passed by, his memories would feel less and less real and more like he was viewing a slideshow than anything else. And once he died himself one day, those memories would die with him. Nobody would remember or care about the kind-hearted man that had designed duel monsters cards just to make others happy. The man who had sheltered Aster from this cruel world for those precious few years with the type of love that only a parent could give. More than anything else, Aster feared time itself. It was always pushing forward, bringing about the ultimate end for everyone whether they liked it or not. And there was no way to escape or cheat it. His field spell card, Clock Tower Prison, had always felt like a grim reminder to Aster of this fact. The same went for the trap card, Eternal Dread. It's effect of speeding up the effect of Clock Tower Prison by moving its time further with placing counters on it seemed to symbolize Aster's fear of time passing too quickly. Ironically enough though, the "Eternal" part of the card name could not make any sense of dread last forever when you considered that everyone was bound by mortality.

_And!? _Alexis thought to herself in frustration once it was clear that Aster was not going to elaborate on what he had meant.

"Enough about me for now. Let's talk about you. Tell me, what's your family like?" Aster asked as he abruptly changed the subject.

"Okay, I guess. Since you already know about Atticus, there's really just Mom and Dad. My Dad's an investment banker, and Mom works out of the home as a designer for some fashion company. The details never really interested me, to be honest. They're good people, but they can be a bit overbearing about some things. They're big on the more traditional values. You know, honest work, religion, marriage…" Alexis explained wearily. For as long as she could remember, her parents had been obsessed with the idea of her and Atticus settling down straight out of high school with the perfect "soul mate" so that they could hurry up and start families of their own and fall into their parents' perfect ideal of the "happily ever after life" that they believed everyone should want to follow. Especially for Alexis since they believed that more than anything, women were more obliged to get started sooner due to their limited time range for a pregnancy in life. Trying to explain her dreams of dueling or teaching was always a wasted effort on Alexis' part.

Aster had noticed how Alexis' less-than-enthusiastic tone had become even more pronounced once she had said the word, "marriage". He had never really thought too much about it before since he never considered it as a real possibility since he hadn't felt serious about anyone in that way before. But the idea of marriage itself seemed appealing since he saw it as another way to have a real biological family for himself again.

"I take it that you are not the type of girl who is enamored with the fantasy of having some prince come to sweep them off their feet and give them their fairytale ending. Am I right?" Aster asked amusedly.

"You are right about that. But Mom and Dad were high school sweethearts. They think that just because things worked out so wonderfully for them, everyone else should want to do the same. Atticus has his own way of rebelling against them and they seem to have pretty much given up on it for him as a result. But they won't ever let up on me. The only reason they even let me come here was because they thought that it would be therapeutic for me after Atticus disappeared for awhile back then with the whole Abandoned Dorm incident." Alexis explained.

"How foolish. Don't they know that even when something as perfect as their dream happens, it can disappear in just one instant. Destiny can be crueler than some people know… Besides, things are different in this day and age. Thirty is the new twenty and so on going upwards. Lots of people like to wait until their careers take off or are happier remaining single. Parents should not try to force their dreams on their own children." Aster said bitterly. His own parents had had their own happily ever after taken away from them when his mother had died in a car crash not long after his first birthday. There were no true guarantees of anything in life since life itself was so fragile to begin with. At least that was what he always told himself.

"I needed to hear something like that. Good to see that you're a practical one." Alexis said wryly.

"Yup. It's one of my best traits. So, that's enough for family. What about friends? Did you have a lot those growing up?" Aster asked.

"Not really. Sure, I hung out with a lot of people during elementary and middle school and went to events and things. But they weren't really what I would consider as friends. I guess that I didn't really have any until I started school here…" Alexis admitted to herself thoughtfully. For a moment, she thought fondly of Jaden, Zane, and all the others in their little group and what they had gone through together. With them, it was never about what or who was the most popular thing. They always faced their problems together, had new adventures, or just simply appreciated another lazy day off from classes by the lake. They were a team, almost a family in a way. But what Alexis couldn't seem to figure out was how Aster fit into her whole friend equation. He wasn't with them all, but he still felt important to her in a way.

"What about guys? I know you don't agree with your parents, but were you ever interested in anyone before?" Aster asked carefully.

"Of course not! Guys are jerks about that anyway." Alexis answered a little too quickly. In truth, she sometimes wondered if she did feel something for Jaden. But that had only become even more confusing once she had met Aster. There was no way that she was going to tell him anything about her feelings right now when they were already confusing enough to her.

"Ouch. You decided that awfully fast. It's a good thing I'm a patient man…" Aster said thoughtfully, once again failing to elaborate further.

"I didn't mean that _you _were a jerk! I just-" Alexis said in embarrassment.

Aster chuckled. It was so much fun to tease her like this. "Don't worry, I get what you mean." He reassured Alexis.

Xxx

About a half hour later, Aster and Alexis were getting ready to leave.

"I got class now, so I guess I'll see you later. What are you going to now? Work on that Charity Ball again? Sounds like you got everyone excited with that. They all want to go now." Alexis said.

"What about you? When you say, "everyone", does that include yourself as well, Alexis?" Aster asked bluntly.

"Well, sure. It does sound fun from how you described it. But why do you ask?" Alexis asked curiously.

"Well… I might want to bring a date." Aster said with a sly smile.

Alexis did not know how to respond for a moment. How to set the boundaries straight with Aster? She had already said that she wanted them to just try being friends, but had Aster even really took her seriously?

"I…don't think that's such a good idea, Aster." Alexis said hesitantly. But at the same time, a small voice in the back of her mind was asking her _why _she did not want to do it.

Aster's face fell a little at Alexis' response. But he quickly pulled himself together. "Is it me?" He asked her seriously.

"No, it's not you! I just…don't think that I'm ready for that…" Alexis said.

"Not ready for that, or not ready for that with me?" Aster pressed, refusing to let it go.

"I don't really know right now, Aster…" Alexis admitted. She was at least being partially truthful with this answer.

"I see. But don't worry, we still have plenty of time…" Aster said reassuringly. But Alexis could not tell if he was only referring to the ball or not…

**AN: Man, I meant for this to be totally fluffy, but they ended up getting into some pretty deep topics. Lol Next time will cover a certain anime event. I wonder if you can guess what it is. Thanks for reading, and extra thanks and an imaginary cookie if you leave a review! **


	7. Chapter 7

Aster ran frantically through the hallway of the main Duel Academy building, hoping against hope that he would make it to the dueling arena on time. He had only just heard that Alexis was dueling against Chazz, who was now a member of the Society of Light. He had already seen what happened to other students who had lost a duel against him. They were now all loyal brainwashed servants of Sartorius' freaky little cult. And the numbers were only increasing. He wasn't exactly sure yet about how to go about dealing with Sartorius and the society. But one thing that he did know for sure was that he could not allow Alexis to join their ranks.

_Why did she have to accept the duel!? This is not something to walk into blindly when we don't know nearly enough about the Society of Light yet! She's too stubborn for her own good! _Aster thought to himself in frustration as he reached the doors to the dueling auditorium.

Xxx

Alexis stared down Chazz determinedly from her side of the dueling field. He had only seemed to have become more far gone today since he had obtained his new followers for the society. More than half of the male students from Obelisk Blue had been brainwashed, and she knew that she had to try doing _something _about this before it got even more out of control.

_If Chazz uses Armed Dragon LV 7's effect, I can use Angel's Blast to negate it and destroy his monster in the process. Then I could win the duel! But even if he doesn't use it and decides to just attack instead, I can at least still force a draw by using Doble Passe. Either way, he won't win! And then maybe he'll come to his senses and stop brainwashing people. _Alexis thought to herself carefully as she studied her two facedown cards.

"It seems as if you will not understand the nature of fate and how it controls us all until I make you see the light, Alexis." Chazz said.

"I don't believe in concepts like fate or destiny. We control our own futures through the choices that we make every day in our lives. I thought that you were someone who knew just how true this is. After all, when you left Duel Academy last year, you chose your own path of becoming stronger by going through trials at North Academy and learning to duel outside of your usual style from before then. Where is the Chazz Princeton who was not afraid to break away from the crowd by abandoning the more elitist ranks of Obelisk Blue to remain in Slifer Red with his true friends? The Chazz who found the value in cards that looked weak on the outside like the Ojamas. As far as I can see, he is gone, replaced by a mindless shell of a drone to this Society of Light. But I'm going to bring you back out of this once I defeat you in this duel, Chazz." Alexis said.

"But that is where you are wrong. I was not brainwashed at all. Master Sartorius presented me a choice: the choice to become something much greater than I am. If anything, overcoming challenges at North Academy was just another path in life that the Light had chosen me to follow to obtain my true purpose. And you will soon embrace the Light and join me in our glorious service. The Light is everything! More! More Light!" Chazz said insistently. He raised his hand upwards as if reaching for this light he spoke of himself.

"The Light! More Light!" The brainwashed students chanted repeatedly from their seats in the auditorium.

"WAIT! STOP THE DUEL!" A voice shouted.

Alexis turned to see Aster standing next to the dueling platform, looking angrier than she had ever seen him before.

"And why should we do that? The Light has guided me to this moment, and soon Alexis will be able to see it too after she loses to me and becomes a part of Master Sartorius' wonderful vision of the future." Chazz said.

"Not if I can help it! We don't need anymore people becoming brainwashed like you obviously are. Sartorius is playing you all for fools with this sick little cult of his and I'm going to get to the bottom of it!" Aster protested. He climbed up to the dueling platform so that he was standing next to Chazz.

"I appreciate your concern, Aster. But this is my fight. I'm going to defeat Chazz so that we can start to end this madness. And there is nothing he can do about it now anyway." Alexis said firmly.

"You're a fool if you think you have this all figured out so soon, Alexis." Aster said through narrowed eyes.

"Shut up! I won't have you come out of nowhere like this and insult Alexis like that! I will win this duel and make her see the Light and there is nothing that you can do about it!" Chazz said furiously.

"Not if there is no duel." Aster said through gritted teeth. He then grabbed Chazz from behind and pinned his arms behind his back in a lock-hold.

"HEY! What the hell do you think you're doing!? Let go of me!" Chazz demanded angrily.

Alexis and everyone in the audience watched in shock as Aster yanked Chazz' right arm in a tight grip and positioned his hand so that it was lying facedown on the deck of his duel disk. Chazz tried to break free, but Aster was too strong for him. After one agonizing minute that felt like the longest of his life, Aster finally achieved his objective. The word, "SURRENDER", appeared on the display of Chazz' duel disk in bolded uppercase letters. His lifepoint counter then proceeded to hit zero with a dull beep and his and Alexis' monster and card holograms faded away.

For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence throughout the auditorium. Alexis couldn't believe what had just happened. Had Aster really been that concerned about what could have happened to her if she had lost the duel? But at the same time, she was angry with him. This had been _her _duel. She didn't need anyone trying to save her by interfering like that. And couldn't Aster have at least a _little _more faith in her abilities as a duelist!? It was insulting, to be honest.

"How _dare _you interfere with the Light's plan like that! Alexis had been predestined to join the Society of Light! No, _everyone _is! You can't challenge fate with your underhanded tactics!" Chazz yelled.

"Actually, I just did. And you're not going to duel or even come anywhere near her ever again. At least not while you are like this, Chazz. If you want to duel someone so bad, why don't you try me!?" Aster challenged.

"Believe me, I would. But I have my orders. Just don't think that I'll forget about this…" Chazz said in frustration. As much as he would have liked to defeat Aster and make him see the Light himself so that he wouldn't be able to pull anymore stunts like this with Alexis, he knew that he couldn't unless it was specified otherwise. He still remembered that Master Sartorius had specifically ordered him to not duel against either Aster Phoenix or Jaden Yuki unless he was told that the Light had willed it. And since Master Sartorius followed the Light, what he said _must _be true. The Light could _never _be wrong. He had to trust and obey it's will no matter what.

"Orders, huh!? Is that really how you want to live your life? Fine then. You tell Sartorius this: If he's already afraid to have you and the rest of his lackeys go up against me, then he's already lost the fight!" Aster said.

Chazz simply glared at Aster before turning around and leaving the auditorium. The rest of the society members trailed behind him like sheep.

Soon, the entire auditorium was empty except for Alexis, Aster, Jaden, Atticus, Hassleberry, Syrus, Mindy and Jasmine. At first, nobody seemed to know what to say.

"Well… That was some duel, huh!?" Syrus joked awkwardly.

"Is that all you guys can say!? I don't believe this! Just what the HELL did you think you were doing by letting her duel like that!? What if I hadn't come in time when I did!? Were you all just going to sit there like idiots and hope that everything would be okay!?" Aster raged.

Jaden and the others looked a bit taken aback by Aster's outburst. The pro duelist was usually a lot calmer and more composed than this.

"Look, Aster. It was Alexis' choice to duel Chazz. We already knew that the Society of Light was causing problems, so we decided to do something about it this morning. Lex was only trying to help save the people from Obelisk, her own house." Jaden explained calmly as he tried to defuse the tension.

"And did you all even bother to try finding out anything else about them before you just started blindly accepting duels like that!?" Aster argued.

"Well, how will we learn more about them if we don't duel?" Jaden asked, still trying to reason with Aster.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe by first trying to do things like observe their actions, watch their other duels to see how they fight, scout out the white dorm with a little reconnaissance work? It's called using your brain, Jaden." Aster said sarcastically.

"Shut up! He was only trying to help! All of this Society of Light stuff only started happening this morning, so we haven't had time to come up with a plan yet! And when Chazz wanted to duel, I wasn't going to just back down and do nothing!" Alexis practically yelled at Aster.

"It would have been a better idea if you did. But I guess your ego is greater than your sense of self-preservation." Aster replied coldly.

Alexis was too angry too even retaliate. To hear Aster of all people lecturing her about vanity was just too much…

"Lay off her, kid. I don't know why you're so upset about this, but like it or not, it's always been impossible to get my sis to change her mind once it's made up, especially when a duel is involved. Either way, this wasn't any of your business to begin with, so I suggest you take a hike and stop bothering her before I run out of patience." Atticus threatened Aster. He had been oddly quiet throughout the whole ordeal, simply observing everything. And he didn't like what he had seen. Why was this Aster kid acting so familiar with his little sister? Was something going on that Alexis wasn't telling him about? Or was he just imagining it? Aster had only been here for a few days since he came back, after all.

Aster had to fight to stay silent. He wanted to say something, but from the way Atticus was looking at him, it appeared as if he might already be onto him. He didn't want to give himself away any further than he might have already.

"Guys! Let's just calm down! Even though we don't know who would have won the duel, maybe it's still a good thing that Aster stopped it." Jasmine said.

"Yeah. I didn't realize that Society of Light was THAT bad until everyone started going nuts over Chazz like that. It was scary. I don't want to think about what could have happened to Alexis if she had lost…" Mindy agreed with Jasmine nervously. They were both obviously coming to Aster's defense because of their fangirl crushes on him that were even bigger than the ones they had for Atticus. But at the same time, they were trying to sound neutral.

"You're right. What's done is done. So, there is no point in talking about it anymore." Aster said wearily.

Xxx

Aster had barely even left the building after they had all disbanded after the big argument when he heard rapid footsteps behind him.

"You had NO right to do that!" Alexis practically spat in Aster's face as she caught up to him.

"Look, believe it or not, I was only trying to help you, Alexis. I didn't want you to become some mindless slave to do Sartorius' bidding. You saw what all of them were like! I couldn't take a chance!" Aster argued desperately.

"It's not about that! It was still MY duel, Aster! I don't need anybody trying to fight my battles for me. I can take care of myself. Besides, Chazz wouldn't have won anyway. I had everything I needed to stop him no matter how he had decided to use Armed Dragon LV 7." Alexis insisted. She took her deck out and handed her earlier facedown cards from the last turn to Aster so that he could read their effects.

"These mean nothing. I can usually predict how a duel will flow, and Chazz had something ready for you. I could feel it. Sartorius would have seen this and prepared him for it. You guys may feel like you have a chance since Jaden managed to prove him wrong. But that almost never happens. Believe me, I know Sartorius and you really have no idea what you are dealing with. So, I had to stop you, Alexis." Aster explained.

"Wow, you really like to have your own way, don't you, Aster!? First the lighthouse, then you won't even let me pay for my own meals, then you couldn't even handle me not wanting to sit where you wanted when we had lunch yesterday, and now this! And you had no right to talk to my friends that way. You know what? That's it. I've had enough of this. This…isn't going to work for me." Alexis said, not even sure herself what "this" exactly was with her and Aster. All she knew for sure was that Aster was too controlling and she could not handle being with him if they were always at odds like this.

"That is not true! I will admit that I took matters into my own hands with the duel, but that was for your own safety, Alexis! You always had a choice about everything else that you mentioned, and I don't recall you complaining when we were at the lighthouse together." Aster argued, throwing in the last part just to put a hole into her defenses by reminding her of the pleasure that they had shared that night. And it worked. Alexis' face became flushed and she did not seem to know how to respond to Aster for a moment.

"Look, putting aside what we justify as right or wrong for a minute, have you ever stopped to consider what would have happened to you if you had lost the duel, Alexis? I'm not saying for sure that you _would _have lost, but just think. We don't know enough yet about how strong the effects of the brainwashing really are. What if I- I mean, what if we couldn't get you back to your real self? We really don't know just how strong Sartorius' hold over others is or even if it is reversible. I'm sorry that I just took over like that. But I just didn't want to risk losing you. No duel is worth that." Aster explained. He hadn't wanted to reveal his feelings as much as he just had, but he didn't see any other way out of this.

_Does he really mean that? Was he really that worried about what could have happened to me? _Alexis thought to herself. Her face felt even hotter by now and she was positive that Aster could see it.

"Aster, I…" Alexis started, not even sure what she was trying to say. She turned away in embarrassment.

Aster placed his hands on Alexis' shoulders and turned her around so that she was facing him. "You don't have to say anything right now. Look, I know I haven't been great at explaining a lot of things, but I think I should about this. So how about we do this? If you come into town with me on the mainland after school today, I can explain everything about Sartorius. I think it will help you to understand everything that has been going on lately better." He said.

"That's fine, I guess. But why go into the city to do that?" Alexis asked curiously.

"Because that's where he lives. Sartorius has his own fortune-telling shop with his apartment above it in Domino and it will help me to explain if I can show you more about his life. And maybe we can even find some clues to help us." Aster explained.

"Um, but what if he's there?" Alexis asked somewhat apprehensively.

"Don't worry, he won't be. He's moved into the dorms here now and quit his regular business hours. Besides, I won't let him try to do anything to you, and he probably wouldn't even try anything anyway with me there. You're safe with me, I promise." Aster insisted.

"Well… Then I suppose it's alright. I'll give you another chance, Aster. I didn't even stop to think about how worried you- uh, everyone might have been about what could have happened if I had lost the duel. I'm not going to thank you for what you did or say that you were right, but I will try to think things over more carefully about the risks of any situation that I put myself into before making anymore decisions. I promise." Alexis said quietly.

"Alright, I will accept that. I'm just glad that you still have enough patience to put up with me, Alexis. Because I'm not going anywhere." Aster said somewhat teasingly, wearing that mischievous, gorgeous, cocky smile of his that Alexis was growing to love.

"I'll see you after class." Alexis said hurriedly. These moments with Aster made her feel like she had forgotten how to breathe, and it was only getting worse. Just how did this one boy manage to have such an effect on her after only a few days?

Xxx

Sartorius carefully arranged his tarot cards in a pile on the desk of his room in the now-Obelisk White-dorm as he went over his thoughts over the events of today. Alexis Rhodes had been destined to lose that duel and join the Society of Light. Of that he had been certain. But Aster had somehow managed to foil his prediction, with no warning or sign whatsoever. He had no idea how or why this had even happened. Clearly, Jaden Yuki's unexpected victory over Aster had something to do with a force he had obtained in his new deck that Sartorius seemed to have no control over. But this was different. Just how had Aster managed to change fate like this? The will of the Light should have been absolute.

Sartorius was hesitant to try reading Aster's future. Since they had been friends for years, it always felt like an intrusion of privacy on his part if he did it without Aster's consent. It also always made Sartorius feel fear about what kinds of horrible things he might see that could happen to Aster. Being able to predict the future was as much as a curse as it was a gift, even more so with the former in Sartorius' opinion. But he had to try to find some kind of answer as to why this had happened, and more importantly, how it might affect Aster's future.

As Sartorius looked at the card in the pile that he had chosen, it felt like all the blood had drained from his face.

"No! This cannot be…" Sartorius thought to himself in fear as he held the card in his shaking hand. For once, he was hoping against hope that this was another prediction of his that would fail to pass…

**AN: Sorry if Chazz was boring here. I don't really like him and Alexis when they are possessed by the Society of Light. And speaking of… No Society of Light Alexis here! It just doesn't work with the story and the development of her relationship with Aster, so I changed it. So, if any of you were hoping for some kind of kinky lemon scene with Aster and Society of Light Alexis (Eh, you probably weren't, right?), I apologize. XD**


	8. Chapter 8

Alexis marveled at the view of the ocean around her as she stood next to Aster on the deck of his yacht. Somehow, the main ferry between the island and Domino City didn't do sea travel the same justice as the fluid motions of Aster's boat that made it feel as if they were effortlessly gliding across the waters.

"Nice, isn't it? The auto pilot controls on this thing have never disappointed me even after over a year now. We should reach the city in about half an hour. Want to come inside for a bit? I could show you the control room and some other things." Aster offered.

"No, that's okay." Alexis answered a little _too _quickly.

Aster chuckled lightly at Alexis' reaction. "Just what are you so afraid of? The furniture? Well, it's fine. It's not like I'm used to having guests, anyway. I really only asked in case you start feeling sick out here. It's not for everyone as much as they might believe sometimes." He said.

"So, do you always stay here after classes? I mean, how does this even work? I thought that everyone had to stay in the dorms." Alexis inquired curiously.

"I do have a room at the Academy. It's just more convenient to stay here." Aster said simply.

"What's your dorm?" Alexis asked.

Aster raised an eyebrow, slightly offended by Alexis' question. "Do you even need to ask? It's Obelisk, of course. Where else do you think they'd put me? Slifer? Come on. I'm too good to be anywhere else." He said arrogantly.

"Well, based on your attitude, you definitely belong in Obelisk. It's not all about dueling, you know. After all, Jaden defeated you and he is in Slifer." Alexis pointed just to take a shot at Aster's ego.

"Alexis! Do you have to remind me of that!? I was trying so hard to forget that painful experience…" Aster said in a mock dramatic fashion, causing them both to laugh a little.

"You're right; it's not all about dueling. Duel Academy's bigger on the standardized testing than anything else. I'm just one of those rare individuals who excel at them both." Aster said knowingly.

"Let me guess? A perfect score for you, Mr. Childhood Prodigy?" Alexis asked wearily.

Aster simply smiled and nodded his head, causing Alexis to roll her eyes good-naturedly. She was starting to realize that it was easier to simply not fight Aster's ego instead of challenging it too much.

Xxx

Once they reached the mainland and were walking along the city streets, Alexis noticed that Aster had become a bit more self-conscious of their surroundings. He stuck closer to the side streets near the alleyways, trying to move quickly while not drawing any attention to himself. It looked as if he was used to doing this.

_It must be a pain to have to worry about getting held up by a bunch of people everywhere you go. _Alexis thought to herself as she tried to keep up with Aster. The last thing they needed was for him to have to stop for an autograph signing session since Alexis knew all too well that Aster always took time out for his fans if they spotted him.

Eventually, Aster stopped walking. "Here we are." He said as he pointed to a modest-sized second story shop. The sign next to it read, "Arcana Tarot Readings".

"How are we supposed to get in? It says its closed." Alexis asked as she pointed to the sign behind the doorway.

"Like this." Aster said. He took a small key out of his pocket and quickly unlocked the door with it. Alexis then followed him inside.

Once the door was shut and locked behind them, Alexis looked around the room. It looked to be a typical fortunetelling goods shop. The shelves and tables held objects such as crystal balls, tarot card sets, jewelry, and other items that would fit right into the category of what Seto Kaiba would have labelled as, "hocus pocus nonsense".

Aster and Alexis approached the small counter with the cash register to find an open notebook laying on it. Aster frowned as he flipped through the contents. It was mostly a jumble of pricing totals and a bunch of scattered reminders about things like inventory deliveries and other business-related chores. He noticed that the further he went into the book, the less organized the notes became. They would simply say things like, "Check five for Thu.", "Last day for reduc", and one that completely baffled Aster that simply said, "Re flush at Y.D.S". A small hand-held calendar next to the notebook was messily covered with cross off marks and circles.

"Looks he fell behind with this place." Aster said.

"Couldn't Sartorius have just hired an assistant to help him run things?" Alexis asked skeptically.

"He could have, but Sartorius isn't too trusting when it comes to outsiders. Normally, his sister helps him with the store. But it appears that she went for an extended training expedition this time. I haven't been able to reach her. Or Sartorius." Aster explained.

"Training?" Alexis asked curiously.

"Yeah. It's a meditation-type focus that Sarina goes somewhere up in the mountains for. She can see visions of the future like Sartorius. But she has a different way of drawing predictions from them." Aster explained. He walked into a hallway leading to a backroom as he spoke, motioning for Alexis to follow him.

"You don't really expect me to believe this, do you? I mean, anyone can just claim to be psychic. But being to see the future seems a bit far fetched, if you ask me. How do you know this is real?" Alexis asked doubtfully.

"Because they have been right about too many things that have happened to me before they have even happened. It doesn't matter if I'm told in advance or not. And that has especially turned out to be right when it comes to duels. Almost every time Sartorius has drawn this card, The Chariot, I have won a duel." Aster explained as he picked up the card in question from the pile on the table.

Alexis didn't know what to say. She gazed around the room carefully, noticing how blindingly bright the overhead lights shined. There was a little _too _much light in the room.

"This room didn't always used to look like this." Aster said as if he had read Alexis' thoughts.

"Was it always this…white?" Alexis asked as she looked at the walls.

"No. You should have seen it before back when there were all these trees and roots painted on the walls. Sartorius always said it helped him to "ground his energies" better. Always cracked me up. But all of this was done not too long ago. Now that I think about it, it wasn't that long before I started at Duel Academy…" Aster said.

"Maybe we'll find something upstairs. Come on." Aster said after a few more moments of uneasy silence.

Xxx

Once they were upstairs in the apartment area of Sartorius' store, Aster almost found himself wishing that they had decided to leave instead. The living room was a complete mess. Clothes, books, and other miscellaneous objects were scattered haphazardly around the room. Even worse, the hanging plants were either shriveled up or dying from lack of water.

Aster and Alexis stepped into the kitchen. What a mistake. The sink was overflowing with dirty dishes, and judging by the remains on them, Aster could even tell exactly what had been served for breakfast on some of them.

"Geez, Sartorius. There's a little thing called sanitation." Aster said to himself as he shook his head in disgust.

"And here I thought my brother was the biggest slob in the world… What happened here!? It's not like transfer students have to leave on a short enough notice to not have time to do a few household chores. This is disgusting." Alexis complained.

"It's never been like this before whenever I came over. Believe me when I say that Sartorius was the type of guy who went so far as to color code his wardrobe. Being able to predict the future made him feel as if nothing else could be left to chance either. But all of this makes me think that coming back home isn't a priority for him anymore." Aster said somewhat sadly. He opened the refrigerator and casually took a bottle of water from it.

Alexis had been staring at a framed photo that she had found resting on one of the shelves nearby. It was a picture of Sartorius, Aster, and a beautiful dark-haired woman that she guessed must be Sarina. There was a sharp difference between the expression of the Sartorius in the photo to the one she had seen at Duel Academy. While this one wore a serene smile, Alexis always thought that Sartorius himself could have borrowed a jack 'o lantern and carved his own twisted grin into it to make it look right at home during a Halloween celebration. Aster also seemed a bit different in the photo as well. He wore an easy, relaxed smile with his arms folded casually in his lap. His expression and body language said that these were people that he felt comfortable and safe being around. This was his family.

"You come here a lot, don't you?" Alexis asked carefully as she watched Aster open the bottle of water and drink from it. There was a casual familiarity to his actions in this place.

"I used to. I've known Sartorius and Sarina since I was just a kid. They're like family to me. They didn't have any friends growing up. People were terrified of their ability to predict the future, so they were always looked down on or worse. For a long time, they lived on the streets. Every day was a battle just to survive… Even when they tried to hide what they knew about things, it was too easy to let it slip that they were different since they were relying on their abilities for everything." Aster explained sadly.

"That's horrible… But you were different. Why? What did you think when you found out the truth about them? You weren't afraid?" Alexis asked curiously.

"No. I was actually pretty fascinated with it all. Ever since my father was killed, I was always obsessed with wondering just how I might have been able to change things so that nothing would have happened to him. Being able to predict the future sounded like the answer I was looking for. A way to control things so that nothing bad would ever happen again… And that's how we started to become friends." Aster explained.

"What about now? Do you still like it?" Alexis asked.

"Not so much anymore once I realized just how helpless it could make you feel. I used to think that knowing things ahead of time would prepare me for anything. But all they really did was prepare me for things that I had no choice against to begin with. Heck, Sartorius could even predict when I decided to switch to a new toothpaste. And I got so sick of worrying about whether he would say that I would lose a match." Aster said wryly.

"But you know that everything is not set in stone already. We have seen Sartorius be wrong before!" Alexis argued.

"One time doesn't mean that much to me after everything I've seen. But I will admit that I grew a little too dependent on Sartorius' predictions for a long time. I don't know how much it will change anything, but I figured that not asking him about anything anymore is at least a start in the right direction." Aster admitted.

"All of this has really been hard on you, hasn't it? No wonder you acted like that about the duel today. You just didn't want to lose anyone else you knew to…whatever everything that is going on right now is. I'm sorry, Aster…" Alexis apologized softly.

"Don't be sorry. You didn't know about everything. It's true that I don't want to lose anymore friends. But I could have been less hard on you about it." Aster said.

"Well, then everything should be fine between us as long as we're explaining things to each other like you are right now." Alexis said with a reassuring smile.

"I couldn't agree with you more." Aster said quietly as he smiled back at Alexis.

Xxx

A couple hours later, Aster and Alexis left Sartorius' place and sailed back to the island. Even though they had not been able to find any real clues about the Society of Light or any of Sartorius' plans, Alexis was still glad that she had gone with Aster today.

"Thanks for everything today, Aster. I'm glad that I came with you today. I feel like I understand a lot of things better now. And even though I don't know how the duel would have ended, I really am glad that you stopped it when you did…" Alexis admitted.

"Oh? Does this mean you are taking back what you said earlier about not being grateful for what I did?" Aster teased.

"Yes. I admit that I was wrong. And you enjoy being right too much for your own good." Alexis said shortly. She was grateful that it was too dark outside for Aster to see how red her face had become.

"You're just too much fun to tease, Alexis. That was one good reason to stop that duel." Aster said mischievously, causing Alexis to groan in exasperation.

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything to each other. They simply stood side by side in comfortable silence as they looked out over the harbor. Then, without warning, Aster turned to face Alexis. He delicately tucked a loose strand of Alexis' hair behind her ear, his fingers just barely tracing over her face. Alexis felt as if she had forgotten how to breathe properly. Before she could react any further, Aster placed both of his hands firmly on her shoulders and drew her closer towards him. He then started kissing her.

The kiss this time was a lot different from their first time. Instead of the urgent lust that had guided his actions at the lighthouse, Aster was taking his time. He kissed Alexis slowly and deeply, his lips pressing softly against hers until she let out a small sigh of pleasure. Aster took that opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. Soon, Alexis was returning the kiss in the same fashion. Their tongues glided lightly against each other, feeling more like a gentle caress than the fierce battle they had shared before. Alexis felt like she was slowly sinking into a pool of pleasure. The kiss was so heady and deep that she wouldn't have been surprised if she had lost her own footing without Aster's hands now firmly secured around her waist. One of his hands drifted back to Alexis' arm and started to gently rub the bare skin on it, sending jolts of pleasurable electricity to her nerve endings there. It was all too wonderful.

After what felt like forever, Aster and Alexis broke apart naturally from their soft, sensual kiss, gasping for air.

"Why did you do that!?" Alexis asked accusingly once her brain was finally capable of forming rational thoughts again.

"Because we both wanted to. You can't deny that." Aster replied simply.

"Whether I liked it or not isn't the point here, Aster! I told you that I only wanted us to be friends!" Alexis protested.

"We are friends." Aster said.

"Friends don't do what we just did." Alexis said firmly.

"Who says that they can't?" Aster challenged.

"We haven't even known each other for about three days, Aster! We shouldn't be moving this fast. It isn't right… And when things like this keep happening this quickly, I just end up feeling more and more confused…" Alexis said helplessly.

Aster paused for a minute before answering Alexis. "Maybe you are confused because you are thinking about it too much. You worry so much about whether it is seen as wrong or right, but I just go by what feels right to me when it comes to the people I decide to let into my life. And to me, it somehow feels like I've known you for a lot longer than three days…" He said thoughtfully.

When Alexis failed to respond, Aster continued to speak. "Look, I wouldn't have done that if you had shown any sign that you didn't want it. But if this upsets you that much, I'll back off for a little bit, give you some time to think. But I'm not a mind reader, Alexis. So, unless you tell me that you don't want me, I'm not going to assume that's true." He said quietly. For a moment, he looked into Alexis' eyes, as if challenging her to admit that she _didn't_ want him. Only he knew that she couldn't do it.

"I- I have to go now." Alexis said, avoiding Aster's eyes.

"Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow…_friend_." Aster taunted Alexis as she climbed down the ramp from the yacht. He smiled deviously to himself. He had a feeling that it would not be too much longer until he got everything that he wanted.

Xxx

Later that night, Aster was sitting in his room on his yacht, dialing Sartorius' number on his cellphone for what felt like the millionth time.

"Come on, come on. And oh my god…ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONE ALREADY!" Aster shouted impatiently after the fifth ring. He was just about to hang up and call it quits for the night when the ringing abruptly stopped.

"Hello? Hello!?" Aster asked impatiently. He knew that Sartorius was there because of the light breathing on the other end of the phone.

"Aster. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I knew that you would be upset about what happened today." Sartorius said in his now-usual emotionless tone.

"You're damn right I'm upset! Why are you brainwashing people into this Society of Light cult, Sartorius!? It's sick and wrong, and you know it!" Aster raged.

"I know that it does not make sense right now. But everything will be revealed in due time, I promise. I am simply going by what has been foretold to me. And there is no point in trying to make any sense of it right now like you tried to during your little trip to my house today with Ms. Rhodes. Did you think that I did not know about that, Aster?" Sartorius said.

"Hmm, let me guess. Did you foresee it, or did you just notice that I stole a bottle of water out of your fridge?" Aster asked sarcastically.

"I did not foresee that you would end Ms. Rhodes' duel today. She had been destined to join the Light. What you did should not have been possible…" Sartorius said almost to himself.

"You leave her out of this! I wasn't about to let her fall into your freaky little cult, and I won't let you guys try anything else with her either!" Aster warned Sartorius furiously.

"Aster, you don't understand what your actions today have caused. Because of your interference, there has been a shift in destiny's plan for you. If you do not end the path that you have chosen to follow with Ms. Rhodes, you will be placing yourself in grave danger. You must end this now while you still have the chance!" Sartorius urged.

"And just what is this "grave danger"?" Aster asked suspiciously.

"I…cannot say. Just know that I would not be trying to help you go against the Fate's will if there was another way. So, please listen to me." Sartorius begged Aster.

"You know what? No. Fuck Fate, fuck your predictions, and fuck your Society of Light. For the first time in a long time, I have something good in my life, and I'm not going to let you or anyone else ruin it for me. If I've already changed things once, then I just won't let whatever you think will happen come to pass either. I don't know why you've changed like this Sartorius, but we're done. I don't want to talk to you anymore, and you're fired as my manager starting today. So, unless you're willing to start shaping up and end this whole Society of Light garbage, I'm afraid that this conversation is over." Aster said firmly. He then ended the call before Sartorius could say anything else.


	9. Chapter 9

"Since your grades and attendance are still solid, I'm surprised that you missed this assignment, Alexis." Miss Fontaine said to Alexis. They were having a one-on-one student-teacher conference in Miss Fontaine's office at the Obelisk girls' dorm.

_The yearly project. How could I have let it go this long? _Alexis thought to herself miserably.

During each school year, Duel Academy assigned a special assignment with a different theme related to dueling for the students to work on. It was always a big hands-on project that required tasks that could be anything from making up customized theme decks to researching real duelists. Alexis didn't mind the actual work itself and had even found it enjoyable last year. The main problem for her was that students were required to find and work with a partner from their own dorm. Alexis didn't have an issue working with the other girls, and most of them would have been thrilled at a chance to work with the Queen of Obelisk Blue herself. But between everything going on this year so far with the Society of Light, the Slifer dorm problem, and her relationship (even if she couldn't really call it that) with Aster, Alexis had sort of forgotten about the assignment. Would she be able to find a partner on such short notice? And with over half of the girls' dorm under the Society of Light's control, how could she even work with them to begin with?

"I didn't forget, exactly. I've just had…a lot going on." Alexis said lamely.

"I can understand that. But the fact is that everyone else here has already found partners. And the odd numbers have already made their groups of three. Even if you were to join a pair right now, they have already covered too much for you to catch up with and start contributing properly. I'm really sorry, Alexis, but it looks like you will have to do the alternate assignment now if you want any credit for this." Miss Fontaine said somewhat sympathetically.

Alexis' heart sank. Students who missed the deadline on the project for whatever reason were given the chance to do an alternate assignment (usually a paper or test of some sort), but the grade they would receive for it was significantly lower. In the long run, this would not hurt a student too much as long as their overall grades on everything else were still good. But for Alexis, this was a blow that she did not want to take. She was trying to maintain a high grade point average so that her resume would be the best that it could be if she wanted to pursue a teaching career at a dueling school or even enter the Pro Leagues.

"Please Miss Fontaine, I need this! I know that I let this slip, but I can still make up for it if you give me the chance! Is there no other way!?" Alexis begged.

Miss Fontaine paused for a few minutes. She appeared to be thinking hard about a way to solve Alexis' dilemma.

"Well… There might be one way. But it wouldn't be completely up to me." Miss Fontaine said somewhat hesitantly.

"I don't care! Just please tell me what it is!" Alexis said desperately.

"Normally, you are required to work with someone from your own dorm, so this would be bending the rules a bit. But since the student in question is still an Obelisk, I think we can make an exception for you." Miss Fontaine said.

Despite her determination to see this through, Alexis couldn't help feeling a bit wary. If it was someone from the Obelisk boys' dorm, there was probably about a 99%-maybe even 100%-chance that she would get stuck with some weirdo who would drool over her. Jaden and the others were all in Slifer and Ra, and she knew that her brother had already found a partner. Even worse, the Obelisk Blue boys' dorm was also more or less filled with Society of Light members.

"That is good enough for me. So, who is this student?" Alexis asked carefully. For one horrifying moment, she was afraid that it might be Sartorius, although how he had even been _allowed _to enroll as a student with his age, Alexis had no idea.

"As I'm sure you're aware of, Aster Phoenix is registered as a student here at Duel Academy. However, because of his schedule, he's been given permission to substitute the alternate assignment for this one at full credit, so I don't know if he would be inclined to make more work for himself by doing this instead. Not to mention that you would both be getting a bit of a late start at this point. But I think that it is still worth a try to at least ask him if you really are serious about this. I don't know how well you might know him, but from what I understand, he is on friendly terms with Jaden Yuki, so maybe that would help your case. Either way, I'm afraid that is the best that I can offer you, Alexis. It's your choice." Miss Fontaine explained.

_Why does it always come back to Aster!? _Alexis thought to herself with trepidation. The irony of this was that one of the reasons for her falling behind on this assignment also happened to be her only solution to solve the problem.

"Well…I suppose it's better than missing out on the assignment altogether. I'll try asking him." Alexis said reluctantly.

"I'm glad to hear that, Alexis. I know that it can be hard to go out of your comfort zone and try interacting with someone you aren't familiar with. But I know that you're a good student and very adaptable to new situations, so I'm sure that you can make this work and finish on time if Aster agrees to this. So, try your best, alright?" Miss Fontaine said encouragingly.

"Thanks, Miss Fontaine. I will!" Alexis said with a smile that she hoped looked convincing. Clearly, the teacher had no idea just how familiar she and Aster really were with each other, and _that _was the real problem with this situation.

Xxx

Alexis mentally sighed to herself as she idly tossed her PDA back and forth between her hands. It had been over an hour since her meeting with Miss Fontaine and she was now sitting by herself in the school library, still contemplating over the turn of events. Aster would be willing to help her, of that, Alexis was sure of. But the question was whether he would expect something in return from her.

It had been about two weeks since Alexis had visited Sartorius' shop with Aster. True to his word, Aster hadn't tried to push Alexis any further or initiate anymore physical contact with her since their kiss that day. They still saw each other every day, but aside from a few hints and subtle flirtation on Aster's part, their relationship was completely platonic. However, with getting to know Aster even better, Alexis also found her attraction to him growing even stronger. As much as she had tried to deny it to herself at first, Alexis knew that she liked Aster. A lot. The problem was how to go about telling him this. She was too nervous to bring it up herself, but Alexis decided that if Aster presented another opportunity for a conversation to go in that direction, she could at least tell him that she would not be averse to at least seeing how a few dates would go between them.

That wasn't the only problem Alexis had, though. Now that she had admitted her own feelings to herself, the other part of her attraction to Aster was making its presence known much more frequently now. Alexis found herself reminiscing about their night at the lighthouse a lot now, especially since their last kiss. She had started having very vivid dreams (while asleep and daydreaming) about them having more of the same passionate sexual encounters. Her longing for Aster was becoming so strong that she had resorted more than once to pleasuring herself between the sheets of her bed at night (usually after another dream of him), moaning his name softly while she tried in vain to satisfy her growing desire for him. Alexis felt embarrassed and ashamed of herself for it, but she knew that she couldn't deny the truth either. Ever since that night at the lighthouse, a fire had been lit. A fire that burned from deep within her loins and spread out onto every inch of her body while only continuing to grow hotter and hotter with each passing day. And only Aster could extinguish that fire for her.

The truth of the matter was that Alexis was afraid that if Aster agreed to helping her with the school project, he might only want to work somewhere in private with her, like his yacht. No matter how much she wanted him, Alexis wanted to do the right thing and have a proper relationship with Aster before they moved on to anything more intimate than dating. But if she was alone with him in a place where they were free to do whatever they wanted away from anyone else's eyes, Alexis was afraid that she would not be able to resist the temptation to go further with Aster if he made any more advances on her. Already, trying to keep her lust in check was a maddening effort when she knew all too well that Aster would be ready and willing to help her solve her problem whenever she wished. Just the very thought of knowing that she could get what she wanted _right now _if she simply went over to Aster's place was already too tempting. Alexis knew that Aster would not refuse her if she asked for it.

_I need to stop this. Even if we have to work somewhere in private, that doesn't mean that anything else has to happen there! It's not like I don't have a choice! _Alexis scolded herself. Without giving it another thought, she dialed Aster's number on her PDA.

Xxx

Aster paced restlessly inside his yacht as he tried to calm his frustration. It had been almost two weeks since he had agreed to Alexis' request that he did not do anything to pressure her into starting a relationship with him. They were friends again and still spending a lot of their free time together. But aside from that, absolutely nothing else was happening. Aster was trying to respect Alexis' wishes and wait until she was ready for a real relationship with him. But at this point, he didn't see how that would ever happen unless he took the initiative here. It didn't matter how many not-so-subtle hints he made about his feelings or how much light flirtation in the form of teasing and compliments that he sent her way. Alexis could probably go on hiding behind her ridiculous little charade of "just friends" forever if he didn't make the first move here. And the longer he went on without saying anything, the more he gave someone else a chance at winning Alexis' affections. Who was to say that Alexis wouldn't say yes to someone else if she was given the chance? Aster didn't want to wait around while another guy who had half the mind to approach Alexis in a normal way without going all dorky fanboy on her managed to win her over, or if Jaden managed to hit puberty and finally noticed that there was one _very _attractive girl spending time with him. He decided that he had to be direct and at least try telling Alexis how he really felt about her and to express his interest in them starting to date. He had given her enough time already and it was time for him to make a move. After all, what did he have to lose when they hadn't started anything to begin with?

To make matters even more difficult, Aster was finding it more and more frustrating to calm his physical desires these days. It had been two weeks since he had had sex with Alexis during that fateful night at the lighthouse and he was feeling the need bad. Aster found himself continually fantasizing about Alexis in that way and it only made him hunger even more for her. He hated how he had joined the lowly ranks of almost every boy in Duel Academy who was also most likely jerking off to her like he was now. He knew that it didn't have to be like this for him when it came to sex. He was Aster Phoenix and he could basically have any girl he wanted, maybe even just by simply asking them. But he didn't want _any _girl, he wanted Alexis. She was the only one that Aster had ever had feelings for that went beyond plain lust. He wanted to make her his again. To have her writhing and moaning underneath him, calling out his name in pure ecstasy while he thrust into her over and over again. Giving them both the ultimate pleasure that they yearned for. Even if Alexis was too embarrassed to admit it, Aster knew that she had enjoyed that night just as much as he had and would enjoy it again if she just gave herself the chance to. But only if he got the ball rolling here and made it clear that he was ready for something more between them.

Just as he was about to go to work with relieving himself from his ever-growing lust, Aster heard his PDA ring. Knowing that the one person he had registered on it was also the only one he would want to talk to right now, Aster quickly grabbed his device and answered it.

"Hey, it's me. I hope I didn't get you at a bad time, Aster. Were you busy?" Alexis greeted Aster from the screen.

"Not at all." Aster lied, too mortified to tell her just what exactly he had been about to get busy with.

"Good. I called you because I sort of need your help with something, but it's a long story, so I was wondering if you could meet me at the library soon?" Alexis asked.

"Asking for my help, huh? Wow, this must be serious! Must not be a problem for those with average abilities." Aster joked.

Alexis rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Rein that ego in. It's nothing that special. Will you be there or not?" She asked.

Aster couldn't help smiling. Alexis was just too adorable for her own good whenever he teased her like this. "Give me about an hour and I'll be there." He promised.

"Thanks, I'll see you soon!" Alexis said with her beautiful smile before giving a wave goodbye as she ended the call.

Aster sighed to himself wearily. That stunning view that Alexis had provided of herself had only made him feel worse. Knowing that there was going to be no quick fix to his problem this time, he headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Xxx

"-about everything, I guess. What do you think?" Alexis said carefully after she had finished explaining everything about the school project and asking for Aster's assistance.

"Hmm… I don't know. I'm quite busy as it is right now with everything going on and my weekend matches still going on. And this isn't what I would consider as a more ideal way of spending time with you." Aster said evasively, trying to tease Alexis by getting her hopes low.

"I know. I just don't want to pass up this chance…" Alexis said sadly.

"You won't have to. Because luckily, I happen to like you. So, I don't mind helping you out with this Alexis." Aster said, offering his most charming smile.

"You'll help!? Thank you so much, Aster! I promise that it won't be bad! I'll try to get us finished as fast as I can." Alexis said excitedly. She felt like she could have hugged him.

"No need for that. It's better if we're willing to take our time here. I don't mind. It's not like these Duel Academy assignments are ever any kind of challenge, anyway." Aster reassured Alexis.

"So, do you think we can get started tomorrow?" Alexis asked.

"Sure. I won't be doing anything else, so just come over anytime you want after school." Aster offered.

"You mean…at your place?" Alexis asked cautiously, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt.

"Why not? I got everything I need for this there." Aster said.

"Oh. Well… Are you sure that you don't want to just come here instead? I don't want to impose on you." Alexis said awkwardly, unable to give a better excuse.

"You really think the library is always this empty? Trust me, it isn't. Same with everywhere else here. I don't want any fans bothering us all the time. And working outside isn't going to be comfortable with how long we'll end up working. This will be easier. I could even make coffee for you if you get tired. Come on, please? I hardly ever have guests…" Aster said, even sounding a little sad with his last sentence.

As much as her brain was screaming at her that this was a bad idea, Alexis couldn't bring herself to say no. Aster was already going out of his way to make the time to help her with this. Shouldn't she at least compromise with him? Plus, she couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him after his last words. Aster lived all alone, and with not even being able to see Sartorius and Sarina now, it had to be a little lonely for him nowadays. Maybe it would be alright…

"I suppose you're right. I'll be there a little after class." Alexis relented.

Aster brightened. "Great! So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, partner." He said with a smile as he held his hand out for Alexis to shake.

"That's right! And we're going to give this our best!" Alexis said determinedly as she shook Aster's hand.

Aster simply smiled and nodded. He figured that once they finished some work tomorrow, it would be the perfect opportunity to bring up his question to Alexis after he explained his feelings to her. And who knows? If it went well, maybe he could even set the mood for something else if he played his cards right…

**AN: I think you all know what needs to happen next. **


	10. Chapter 10

Alexis stood tentatively on the deck of Aster's yacht next to the doorway. Since the walkway to the deck had been lowered, he had obviously been expecting her to come here. But what was she supposed to do now? Just knock on the door, or try to go in? Luckily, before she could embarrass herself any further by just standing there like an idiot, the door swung open.

"Hey. You're right on time. Come on in." Aster said with a smile. He motioned for Alexis to follow him inside.

Alexis followed Aster inside, gazing around the interior with interest. She hadn't been inside Aster's yacht since the first night they had met, and all she really remembered from back then was the bathroom. Her face flushed briefly when she recalled just why she had been in there in the first place.

"It's…nice in here." Alexis complimented awkwardly, cringing internally at how lame she sounded.

Aster laughed lightly at Alexis' compliment. "Thanks. But I'm afraid I didn't plan much ahead when it came to interior decorating back when I bought it. If I had known I'd be having a lady over, it might have been different, though." He joked.

"No, it's fine. I like it the way it is." Alexis insisted. And she meant it. The walls and most of the furniture were white and dark blue, complementing the ocean nicely. And aside from that, there were a lot of nice-looking personal touches like an old-fashioned wall clock and desk light lamp. Overall, the place had a simple, homey look to it. Nice, and not gaudy either. Aster obviously had good taste.

"Well, since you're going to be here a lot now, I'm glad to hear that. Now, why don't you have a seat in here for a minute? I was going to make some tea. Want some?" Aster offered.

"Thanks. That would be great." Alexis said gratefully.

"Alright, then." Aster said as he held one of the kitchen chairs out for Alexis in a gentlemanly fashion. Alexis sat down, blushing and smiling as Aster pushed her chair in.

While Aster got the tea ready, he and Alexis went over the details of the project, planning out the order for how they wanted to do things on their list. Alexis was relieved to find that they were more or less on the same level when it came to their ideas. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all…

"Here." Aster said as he set a mug of the tea in front of Alexis. For a moment, it almost slipped out of her hand. Aster caught it just in time, his hand closing over Alexis' in the process. It felt as if small sparks of electricity crackled over her hand from Aster's touch.

"Sorry about that!" Alexis apologized in embarrassment, still reeling from the feeling of Aster's skin against her own.

"Don't worry, it's okay." Aster reassured Alexis. He silently relished on how smooth the skin of Alexis' bare hand had felt against his.

xxx

Alexis and Aster talked for a little while longer as they finished their tea, but it was clear that their minds were preoccupied with the obvious physical tension between them that had been ignited by the simple brush of their hands.

"Why don't we sit in the living room? My laptop is in there and we can use it to save everything we need on it." Aster suggested.

"Sounds good. I should bring mine next time, too. I can't believe I forgot about it." Alexis said apologetically.

As they approached the couch, Alexis tripped on a pair of Aster's running shoes that he must have forgot to put away after one of his early morning runs. She stumbled straight into Aster's arms.

Aster's breath hitched in his throat as Alexis' body collided against his own. She had fallen chest-first against him, her breasts up against him as his hands gripped her arms to break her fall. The feel of the bare skin of her arms on his hands and the delightful softness of her breasts as her delicious scent invaded him was more than he could bear.

"I- I'm so sorry! I don't know why I'm so clumsy today!" Alexis stammered in embarrassment as she straightened herself out of Aster's embrace. Her heart felt like it was beating a million miles a minute. Just what the hell was wrong with her!? It had been like this as soon as she came inside his yacht and it was only getting worse.

"Alexis, I can't take this anymore!" Aster said desperately, as if he were in actual physical pain. Without another word, he pulled her into his arms and started kissing her hungrily.

"Aaah.. Aster!" Alexis moaned lightly as she responded to his kisses eagerly.

"Here's how it's gonna go. We're going to take off our clothes, then I'm going to lay you down right here on the couch and fuck you till you can't walk straight. And you're going to enjoy it _very _much." Aster growled seductively into Alexis' ear between their heated kisses. A part of him knew how reckless he was being, but he didn't care anymore. All the jerking off and cold showers could satisfy his need for Alexis for only so long. He had reached his breaking point and judging by the fact that she was not protesting his actions in the slightest, she must have felt the same way.

"Yes!" Alexis moaned ecstatically in agreement, turned on by Aster's dominance. She didn't care anymore whether this was right or wrong. She had been longing for this again for far too long. Aster was the only one who could make her feel this way and she needed him _now_.

xxx

After panting exhaustively for a few minutes, Aster and Alexis both finally recovered enough to assess their situation. Seeing clothes strewn around the room and the mess they had left on the couch after they had gone wild, Aster realized that they might have a problem here unless they planned on doing more to regularly care for their own needs…


	11. Chapter 11

Aster panted heavily, still attempting to recover from the intense sex he had just had with Alexis. He was completely spent (at least for now) and it felt amazing. None of the times he had had sex with other girls could compare to how Alexis made him feel and all he knew was that he wanted it to continue.

Once he had recovered, Aster stared at Alexis. Her body was still covered in his semen. Cheeks still flushed, she was looking at anywhere _except _at Aster.

"Looks like we're going to need another towel, I guess." Aster joked lamely, trying to put Alexis at ease.

"Guess so…" Alexis answered with an awkward smile.

After returning with a towel from the bathroom, Aster handed it to Alexis so that she could start cleaning up. As she wiped herself off and stood up, Aster's eyes wandered over to the couch itself so that he could assess the damage. One look told him that the damage they had dealt to it had left it beyond salvageable. RIP, living room couch.

_Oh, well. It was worth it. _Aster thought to himself lasciviously.

Xxx

After they had both cleaned themselves up in the bathrooms, dressed, and returned to the living room, Alexis turned to face Aster. "I have a problem here." She said as she pointed to her pair of torn (and still very wet) panties that she held in her hand.

"Oh, um, sorry about that. I guess I got a little carried away there…" Aster apologized with a sheepish smile.

"I'm not mad at you, Aster. But what am I going to do about this!? This skirt is too short for me to go walking around outside without anything under it, but I need to leave to get any new clothes!" Alexis ranted.

Aster couldn't help laughing a little at Alexis' reaction.

"What are you laughing at!? This isn't funny! I don't have any underwear!" Alexis said in a voice that was half angry and panicked.

"Actually, it is kind of funny. But you don't need to worry. I'll go out and get some for you." Aster said.

"And just how are you going to do that? Break into my room? Not so easy. I moved back to Obelisk, remember?" Alexis said.

"Who says that I have to get some from your room? There's a girls' clothing store on campus. I can just buy you a pair." Aster said, even though personally, he believed that he might be able to get away with going into the girls' dorm due to his popularity among the female students.

"But what if someone sees you? It's going to look weird seeing a guy buying girls' underwear. If word gets out that you did that…" Alexis trailed off.

"We don't have any other choice right now. Nothing I own would fit you, so I have to do this. It's my fault that this happened in the first place, so I'm ready to take the consequences if I have to." Aster said.

"If you're sure, then I guess I'll leave it to you. Thanks, Aster." Alexis said gratefully.

"Okay, then I'm going now." Aster said.

"Try to get back soon. We still haven't gotten any real work done on the assignment!" Alexis reminded Aster.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten." Aster said with a reassuring smile.

Xxx

After about half an hour, Aster returned. He was carrying a shopping bag that was too large for just a pair of panties.

"How did it go!? Did anyone see you!?" Alexis asked anxiously.

"No one was in there shopping, so it was just the cashier. But I don't think she'll say anything after the nice little tip I gave her." Aster said smugly.

"Tip? Wait. You mean to say that you gave her a cash bribe to keep quiet!?" Alexis asked in horror.

"Well, not as much as you think since I also got something else along with the main item. When I told her it was all for a special someone, she didn't look so confused anymore. Anyway, here you go." Aster said with a smile as he took the clothes out of the bag to show to Alexis.

For a moment, Alexis was speechless as she looked at everything. Aside from the panties (which were in the same style as the destroyed pair), there was a full outfit that consisted of a beautiful bright blue lacy tank top and capri blue jeans. And it was all in her correct size as well.

"Aster, you didn't have to do this…" Alexis said quietly.

"I know that I didn't. But I wanted to. It felt too weird just buying the underwear, and I feel kind of bad about just going crazy like that. I should have at least asked you first if you wanted to do that. It wasn't very gentlemanly of me and I'm sorry, Alexis. I hope I didn't hurt you…" Aster apologized ashamedly.

"No! It was wonderful! I just…didn't expect it to happen so fast." Alexis insisted quickly, a slight blush on her face.

Aster smiled at Alexis' words. "Believe it or not, I didn't either. I had this whole plan to talk to you about something, but then it sort of got out of hand, and then _that _ended up happening." He admitted.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Alexis asked somewhat warily.

"Well, it's been a couple weeks now since I agreed to just being your friend. I won't deny that I think it's been good for us for awhile and I understand why you felt like you needed that time. But I also think that I need to make something clear if I ever want you to understand how I feel. So, I'm going to be direct with you. Alexis, these past weeks since I've met you have been great, but I'm ready for more. I like you. I mean, I _really _like you, and I want you to be my girlfriend. I'm sorry if all of this is a bit sudden, but I didn't think that I should put off telling you this any longer." Aster explained seriously. He braced himself for Alexis' answer, fearing the worst.

"That's funny, because I was actually trying to figure out how to tell you the same thing. I…really like you too, Aster… I wasn't completely sure about my feelings at first, but these past two weeks gave me time to think about it some more. So, if you want us to try dating, I'm fine with that. In fact, I'd really like that." Alexis said softly as a warm blush spread across her face.

Aster felt like he was ready to burst from happiness at Alexis' confession. He put his arms around her and kissed her softly. "I knew you'd see things my way." He whispered triumphantly into her ear.

"And that's why you asked me first." Alexis teased Aster sarcastically.

Aster chuckled. "Okay, maybe I was just a _little _worried there. But enough about that. Why don't you change into your new outfit here so that we can get started on our homework? Remember that?" He said teasingly.

"Like I'm the one who forgot in the first place… Alright, I'll be right back." Alexis said.

Xxx

As Alexis returned to the living room, Aster's jaw dropped a little as he got a good look at her. Until now, he hadn't seen her wear anything besides her school uniform, so he couldn't help taking the time to appreciate just how good she looked in another style as well. The tank top fit her perfectly, accentuating her slim waist and ample breasts nicely. But at the same time, it didn't reveal too much since it did not cut to show any cleavage. Aster had purposely bought it for this reason. As much as he would have enjoyed that view, he didn't need any guys leering even more at his girlfriend. Besides, he would get to see everything else again eventually. The jeans also complemented her nicely, showing off the long slenderness of her legs, yet also covering most of them. As much as he appreciated seeing most of her lovely, bare legs due to the shortness of the Academy's skirts for the female students, he had also cursed the temptation it had caused him more than once.

"It looks like blue is your color." Aster complimented Alexis.

"You think? I guess I've never thought of it before." Alexis replied thoughtfully.

"You look lovely." Aster said softly.

"T-thanks." Alexis stuttered, feeling more than a little embarrassed by the way Aster was looking at her. She had received many compliments about her looks from boys before, but somehow, Aster was the only one who could make her feel something deeper than the usual mild irritation that she experienced whenever a boy told her that he thought she was beautiful. It was a combination of both shyness and warmth that made her heart beat faster whenever he did it.

"I've got just about everything ready now, so we'll be able to start in a minute. It shouldn't be too hard to start planning a few things with what we've come up with so far. And afterwards, we can have some more fun…" Aster said slyly, his lust already resurfacing as he looked at Alexis.

"Wait. What!? I never said that I was ready for us to start _that _again so quickly!" Alexis protested.

"That's not what I heard. You made it pretty clear that you wanted us to keep this going. You were all, "Oh, Aster! Please, don't stop! Don't _ever _stop!" Remember?" Aster teased Alexis mercilessly, imitating her earlier words in a ridiculous, high-pitched voice.

Alexis swatted Aster's shoulder angrily. Her face had turned bright red at the reminder of their earlier intimacy.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Aster laughed as he put his hands up to shield himself.

"For your sake, I hope so." Alexis said shortly.

"But seriously, what is the point of avoiding this anymore, Alexis? We both want this and you know it. So, what's wrong with enjoying ourselves again?" Aster asked.

"It's not that I don't want to. I just don't think it's the best idea when we've only just started seeing each other. I don't want us to turn into one of those couples that has sex all the time." Alexis reasoned.

"You say that like it's a _bad _thing…" Aster said.

"It can be before we've had time to get used to our relationship. I never hear about anything ending well for people who focus too much on the physical side first." Alexis explained.

"But who says that we can't do both? Believe me, I have every intention of us doing this right, Alexis. I want us to go on dates and get to know each other better. To treat you properly like you deserve to be. And it's about damn time that you had a guy who knows how to. But it will have to be a bit of a gradual process before we aren't so discrete about it. You forget who I am. Reporters are going to be all over this soon enough. And everyone else we know, too. Your brother is not such a big fan of me. Remember?" Aster said.

Alexis didn't answer. She was trying to wrap her head around everything that Aster had mentioned. She was starting to feel a little overwhelmed.

"Look, aside from everything else, all I'm saying is that I think it's a bit too late for us to try ignoring our needs after we've already slept together twice now. We tried to once before and look how that turned out. We're going to be spending a lot of time alone together here to work on our school project, and the longer we try to resist, the worse it will be for us. If I end up going crazy and just jumping you again, I don't know if I'll always be able to stop myself in time when I climax. What if I had gotten you pregnant?" Aster argued.

"I…didn't think of that." Alexis admitted quietly.

"Well, I did. Is it really so wrong of us to give each other what our bodies want whenever we feel like we need it? I only want you, Alexis." Aster said.

"And I only want you…" Alexis agreed. She was running out of excuses to keep refusing Aster, and she didn't want to keep trying to find anymore either.

Aster drew Alexis into his arms and kissed her gently on the lips. "Spend the night with me. That way we can get more work done. And then after we have, we'll see if we feel up for anything else or not. It will be a way for us to see how this goes. What do you say?" He suggested.

"You want me to stay over? Is that even allowed?" Alexis asked skeptically. The suggestion worried her as much as it excited her.

"Come on. Like they even notice a student out of bed here. And technically, you can't get in trouble for this since my yacht is not considered school property. It'll be fine, I promise. No one will know you're here except me." Aster reassured Alexis.

Alexis felt herself caving. Even though she was still a little worried about how fast things were moving between them, Aster's reasoning made sense to her. And besides, her sweet, wonderful, gorgeous, _sexy_, boyfriend was practically begging her to have more hot sex with him as many times as she wanted. How could she bring herself to say no to _that_ offer? Simple, she couldn't.

"Okay. I'll stay with you tonight, Aster. But only on two conditions: One: You don't try to get out of doing any work first. And two: We use protection." Alexis said seriously.

"Not a problem at all. You have my word on both of those. And don't worry, I've got everything we need here." Aster promised.

"Thank you, Aster. I appreciate it. I do need to leave to get a few things first since I'll be staying here, though." Alexis said.

"Alright. I'll finish setting up everything on my laptop while I'm waiting." Aster said.

"I'll see you soon then, Aster." Alexis said.

As Alexis was about to walk towards the doorway, she felt Aster's lips at her ear. "Don't keep me waiting _too _long, Alexis…" He whispered seductively into her ear. He then kissed her lips softly before releasing her.

Feeling dizzy with pleasure from Aster's unexpected embrace, Alexis quickly turned and left, trying not to let her mind wander too much towards what they would be doing later.

Xxx

When Alexis returned a little later, she found Aster still seated in the living room, eyes on the screen of his laptop. He was scrolling through a bunch of files. He looked up when he saw Alexis, though.

"Hey! Welcome back. Got everything you needed?" Aster asked.

"Yup." Alexis answered with a smile as she set her backpack down on the nearby armchair. She then sat down next to Aster on the sofa, which had been hastily covered with a large bedsheet.

Alexis noticed that some of Aster's files were labelled with the dates for each class day of the semester they had had so far. "What are those?" She asked curiously.

"Just my regular schoolwork." Aster answered casually.

"Your regular schoolwork? But you don't even go to classes!" Alexis protested.

"I'm not required to. The professors send me all the assignments by email. I just have to turn them in on time." Aster explained.

"What!? Let me see this!" Alexis said angrily. She snatched the laptop from Aster and opened one of the assignment files. Sure enough, it was the same one from yesterday. Except somehow, it was in a shortened form with fewer questions then they had had. Outraged, Alexis looked through a few more. It was all more of the same. There were even videos of all the lectures.

"This is so unfair! If they can put all of this online, then why can't they give this to ALL of us!? Why do we even have to go to class at all!? And how come you're the only one who gets all of this!?" Alexis complained.

"Didn't you know? It's because I'm very special." Aster joked smugly.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Or maybe they know that you would just be too much of a distraction to your fans if you went to classes. But it's funny. I never even thought that you were a real student until I saw this. I figured you were just registered here to investigate everything going on and that you didn't care if you got failing grades for not doing any work. I know I wouldn't care if I was already a pro duelist with two college degrees." She said.

"So, you already know about that, I see." Aster said.

"Yeah. Bastion told us before your second duel with Jaden-the one that you won, I mean-that he had researched you a bit, and this was one of the things he had found out about you." Alexis explained.

"Researched me, huh? Guess I should feel flattered. Although it's not like he could have found out everything about me from doing that." Aster said.

"Obviously not. I know more than they do now. But what are the two subjects you got degrees for? He never told us that." Alexis asked curiously.

"Psychology and Law. I've got a PhD in both." Aster answered simply, not sounding as if he were bragging about it at all.

"Psychology, huh? That explains why you enjoy playing your little mind games so much." Alexis said ruefully.

"Or maybe I'm just trying to make it look that way. Don't think _too_ hard about it now." Aster teased.

"I take it back. I think that you may just be naturally irritating on your own sometimes without even trying…" Alexis said wearily, causing Aster to laugh lightly.


	12. Chapter 12

When Alexis opened her eyes, she wasn't sure where she was at first. The silky texture of the pale blue sheet that covered her body wasn't the same as the one from back in her dorm room at Obelisk Blue. Strong sunlight filtered in through the slightly open window across the room, causing her to shield her eyes with one hand until they adjusted. Once she had recovered, Alexis turned over onto her side and realized with a shock that there was someone next to her in the bed.

"Well, look who finally decided to wake up! If you had taken any longer, I would have had to do it myself!" Aster joked. He paused to gently brush some of Alexis' hair back from the side of her face and then proceeded to lean in for a sweet, chaste kiss on the lips.

Alexis' face took on a slight crimson flush as she recalled the events from yesterday and last night. She had spent the whole night with Aster, and now here she was, waking up in his bed with him. And they were both completely naked. It hardly seemed real.

"Sorry about that. I should have gotten up earlier. What time is it?" Alexis asked.

"About eleven." Aster answered casually.

"It's that late already!?" Alexis asked in surprise.

Aster laughed lightly at his girlfriend's reaction. "Yeah. I guess you were pretty worn out from all the fun we had last night. Can't say that I blame you, though." He teased.

Alexis couldn't help smiling a little at Aster's reminder of last night. After their passionate encounter following dinner, they eventually went on for another two rounds of long, leisurely lovemaking in Aster's bed. And in between them, they had taken to simply relaxing around his yacht-Alexis wearing nothing but Aster's black dress shirt over a pair of panties while he wore an old black T-shirt and boxer shorts-while they did some more homework or just lounged around talking while having some tea that he had made for them. After their third time, Alexis had been too exhausted to stay up any longer and ended up falling asleep in Aster's arms. She had a feeling that he could have gone on a lot longer, though. As it was, they went at it again at about five in the morning when Alexis had woken up to use the bathroom at the same time as Aster only to discover that he needed some very prompt action to take care of his morning erection. Aster had been so excited then that Alexis had barely had a chance to (rather breathlessly) remind him to put another condom on first. All in all, the whole night and morning felt like a wonderful dream that she had conjured up. It was all so perfect that it was almost hard to believe that it had been real.

"I guess I'm not used to all of this yet… Last night was incredible though, Aster." Alexis admitted, unable to suppress a smile.

"I couldn't agree with you more. And I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Because believe me, you haven't even seen half of what I can do for you, Alexis. But as much as I'd like to pick up where we left off right now, I'm afraid that I have other things to do for awhile today. So, why don't you freshen up and come to the dining room when you're done? I got some breakfast for you." Aster said.

"Alright. But what do you have to do today?" Alexis asked curiously as she unashamedly enjoyed the view while Aster got dressed.

"Pro League stuff. I'll explain later. Anyway, the bathroom is right over there. Don't rush yourself. I'll see you in a few." Aster said. He gave Alexis a quick kiss and then left, shutting the bedroom door gently behind him.

Xxx

Once Alexis was in the adjoining bathroom in Aster's room, she soon discovered that she had a new sort of problem from last night. Looking at herself in the mirror while she was still undressed, Alexis was shocked to see that her neck and chest were riddled with bluish marks. They were obviously hickeys left from the result of Aster's sensual ministrations last night. But how on earth had she not noticed them earlier!? And more importantly, how was she going to hide some of the ones on her neck? Alexis had never been one for wearing make-up, but she did still use a few basic items like lip gloss and concealer. The problem was that the latter was still sitting back somewhere on the shelves in her bathroom in the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm. How she could have been so foolish as to have _not _packed and brought it along with her when she had been back there getting everything ready for her little overnight excursion to Aster's yacht, she did not know. She would have to make sure that nobody saw her when she returned before she made it back to her room. She didn't even want to _think _of the kind of gossip that would transpire if someone saw those marks. And if Atticus saw them, he would most definitely be out for the blood of the person who (in his eyes) had dared to violate his darling little sister without his consent, especially if he knew that it was Aster.

Deciding to push her worries to the back of her mind for now, Alexis stepped into the shower and turned the water on. As she showered, her mind went back to the events of last night. It was still hard for her to believe that she had met Aster less than a month ago. And now she was sleeping with him. Just how had this all even started?

Alexis' mind went further back to before she had even had her first real conversation alone with Aster during that night at the lighthouse. Even further back before he had first come to Duel Academy. Back then, he was simply a pro duelist that happened to be getting a lot of attention. She had only vaguely recalled his face in a magazine after the first time that she saw him. During Aster's first duel with Jaden, he hadn't revealed his true identity to them. Alexis would have been lying to herself if she hadn't admitted that she thought Aster was cute. She may not be one of those girls who immediately crushed on any good-looking guy, but that didn't mean that she didn't notice them either. But aside from that and the duel itself, Alexis hadn't given Aster much thought then. He had left the school after that and they didn't see him again until his match with Zane was aired on TV. It was then that Alexis started to dislike Aster. The way he had bragged and taunted Zane during that duel had really put her off. And it only got worse when Aster came back to Duel Academy and defeated Jaden. Yet somehow, despite how turned off she was by his arrogance and complete disregard for his opponent's feelings, she had ended up sleeping with him the night he came back to the island again. Alexis supposed that her anger might have been the fuel necessary to give her hormones enough of a push to do the unthinkable. But it was more than that. As much as she had hated to admit it, she had been attracted to Aster's boldness back then. If she had gotten even less than half that angry or annoyed with another boy, he would most likely have backed off in fear. But Aster was different. And once he had shown his kind side by taking Jaden's words about dueling seriously and helped them to protect the Slifer dorm, Alexis found herself realizing that there was more to Aster than she had first believed. Since then, there was no going back for her.

Now, before even a month had passed, Alexis was closer to Aster than she had ever thought would be possible. She was not only his girlfriend in a physical relationship with him, they were also sharing their lives, telling each other the most intimate details about themselves. Whenever she was alone with Aster, it felt all too easy to forget about the rest of the world and become sealed in the perfect little space they shared with each other. Alexis knew how much she was attracted to Aster, but was it possible that her feelings ran even deeper than that? A part of her was frightened by the idea. Despite how much she had scoffed at her parents' belief in finding true love at first sight and that everyone had their perfect soulmate somewhere out there for them, she realized that she was falling into the same trap that they had: falling fast and hard for someone while she was still in high school and jumping into a relationship with them. She didn't want to be like them. To start putting important things like time with friends and even career choices on the back burner in favor of a relationship like she had heard of others doing when they fell too deep into one just seemed wrong. She was Alexis Rhodes and dueling was supposed to be her only love. And yet Aster had somehow managed to fight his way into her heart. If only there was someone she could talk to about this…

Xxx

After she was done showering and getting ready for the day, Alexis made her way into the dining room. She stopped short when she saw Aster. He was talking to someone from across a screen on what appeared to be some kind of video phone. It was a beautiful, shapely woman with long, lavender hair that cascaded down her back. For a moment, Alexis felt a sense of dread. Had she gotten her hopes up with Aster for nothing? However, at that moment, Aster turned around. When he saw Alexis, he flashed a smile at her and held up his finger in a "I'll be done in a minute" gesture. So, she figured that this was something else entirely and that her brain had simply jumped to the worst conclusion on its own.

"I don't think that I'm asking a lot. I mean, come on. When was the last time I even used them?" Aster said with a slight note of exasperation in his voice.

"That's not the issue here, Aster. I'm simply advising you to think of the public here. If they think that anything is going on with you in that department…" The woman trailed off.

"They won't. At least not yet, that is. I've got a plan all worked out on how we can avoid the press. So, can you arrange it? Please?" Aster asked.

"Alright. You can use it this time, Aster. Just be careful." The woman relented.

"Thanks, Emeralda. I appreciate it. I guess I'll see you next week after the match then." Aster said gratefully.

"Okay. Good luck, Aster." Emeralda said. She then disappeared from the screen.

After he had switched off the screen, Aster turned to Alexis to greet her. "Hey. How are you doing? Ready for some breakfast?" He said with a smile.

"Sure. But what was all that about? Something to do with your matches?" Alexis asked curiously.

"Yeah. That was my schedule manager. We were just going over some details for the duels I have next weekend. Apparently, I can't afford to take anymore weekend duels off after my loss to Jaden, personal problems or not. I'm lucky enough as it is that they're letting me take a leave from any international matches _and _that I'm getting the weekdays off." Aster explained.

"You mean to say that you were supposed to be dueling this weekend?" Alexis asked.

"I was, but I cancelled it so we could have more time to get started on our project." Aster said.

"Why didn't you tell me about this? I don't want you to miss your duels because of me!" Alexis said.

"Helping you is more important. We need the extra time to get ahead. And besides, I was already taking more time off because of all this Society of Light business. So, don't worry about inconveniencing me." Aster insisted.

"So, I guess this means that I won't see you next weekend…" Alexis said somewhat sadly.

"Maybe not. You see, that was what part of that call was about. I've arranged it so that you could come to my duels on Friday and Saturday, if you want. You could use the free VIP seating that I'm usually allowed to reserve for any special guests of my choosing. And you are a _very _special guest of mine. Afterwards, you could stay at my place in town with me in-between all the league stuff." Aster explained.

"Your place? You mean you have your own apartment?" Alexis asked in surprise. Even though she was aware of just how wealthy he was, Aster still had to have been about sixteen at the most. The yacht was one thing, but somehow, it felt even stranger to imagine him living all alone in an apartment.

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that. So, what do you say? Will you come? I promise it will fun. Aside from the two duels I have scheduled, I'm free for the whole weekend. I even thought of a good place for our first date." Aster offered.

Alexis felt her excitement building. A whole weekend alone with Aster away from the island _and _a chance to see him dueling in real pro league matches. She couldn't miss this chance.

"Okay, I'll come. But won't people find out about us if I use the seats you booked?" Alexis asked warily.

"Don't worry about that. I've already worked out a plan to avoid people at the Kaiba Dome. You'll take the ferry there by yourself, and once you get there, someone who works for me will get you in and all settled without anyone noticing. And the VIP seats are in an enclosed space higher up from the arena, so no one will see you. After that, they'll bring you to me once things have died down a little and we'll leave together. I've seen how all the traffic there operates, so I know what I'm doing." Aster reassured Alexis.

"Okay, if you're sure…" Alexis agreed, feeling a little overwhelmed with how Aster described it.

Aster's face lit up at Alexis' answer. "Great! This will be so much better than if I was just by myself. Thanks, Alexis! And don't worry, I promise that we'll still have time for our schoolwork." He said.

"It beats spending the weekend here without you, that's for sure." Alexis agreed with a smile.

"Well, now that we've got that planned, it's time for breakfast. Here, I got these for you this morning. I also got some orange juice and coffee somewhere around here if you want some." Aster said as he placed a bag filled with fresh bagels on the table for them.

"Wait a minute. You mean you left? When was that? And how did I not notice that this thing was moving!?" Alexis asked incredulously.

Aster chuckled. "It was really early. I went out to go for my run since I was already awake after…well, you remember. After that, I sailed this to the mainland so that I could get something for breakfast that was easy to have. You were pretty out of it, so I'm not surprised that you slept through that little trip. Then I went back to sleep for a little bit." He explained.

Alexis couldn't stop herself from blushing at the mention of their activities from earlier this morning. "I see… Well, thanks, Aster. This was really sweet of you." She thanked him.

"Not a problem at all since it's all for you." Aster said.

Xxx

After breakfast was over, Aster and Alexis went over their plans for the day with each other.

"Is it alright if I stay over again tonight?" Alexis asked.

"Sure. But I'm going to be busy for most of the day sorting out the details for my matches and getting my deck ready for my opponents, so I won't be able to see you until the evening. What will you do until then?" Aster asked.

"Oh, I don't know… Maybe just hang out at the library or something. I still got some of my regular homework to do." Alexis answered. She was actually planning on spending a little time with Jaden and the others, but she didn't want to tell Aster that. Her boyfriend had already shown that he had something of a jealous streak, especially when it came to Jaden. Somehow, Alexis didn't think that it would be a good idea to bring Jaden's name up after Aster had already spent a part of the morning trying to get his dueling career back on track because of his earlier loss to him.

"Heh, sounds exciting. But then again, I guess it's better if you take it easy and avoid any more excitement until later. Because you'll be having plenty more of it tonight…" Aster trailed off suggestively.

"Speaking of that… Do you have any idea what I should do about _this_? I didn't even notice it until this morning." Alexis said as she pointed to the marks on her neck.

"Not much you can do beyond covering it up until they go away on their own, I'm afraid. That'll take about a week. I'm sorry, Alexis. I guess I got a little carried away again. I hope I didn't hurt you. Do you want me to stop doing that from now on?" Aster said guiltily.

"No, it was fine, Aster. I just hope no one notices me until I get back to the dorm…" Alexis said.

"No, it's not fine if you didn't like it. I need you to tell me if I'm doing anything that makes you uncomfortable, Alexis. Before you, I was never in a relationship with anyone else before. Heck, I've never even taken a girl out on a date, believe it or not. So I'm still new to a lot of this. I want to make sure that I'm doing everything right." Aster insisted.

Alexis was a bit surprised by Aster's confession. Obviously, she knew that he must have been with other girls before her when it came to his sexual needs. Otherwise, there was no way he would have been even _half _as skilled as he was during their passionate trysts together. (She was glad that he was being tactful enough to not mention his obvious sexual experience when it came to girls, though.) But she was a bit surprised that Aster had never dated anyone before her.

"Well, I'm no expert since this is all new for me, too. But I'd say that you seem to be pretty good at it so far, Aster. You didn't do anything wrong last night and I loved all of it, so don't worry. I would tell you if I ever didn't like something. I was just a little surprised, that's all. And I can just use make-up to cover it up from now on." Alexis reassured Aster.

Aster smiled in relief at Alexis' words. _God, she is just so perfect. How did I ever get so lucky!? _He thought to himself in amazement.

Xxx

Almost before Alexis had even realized it, a week had passed, and it was Friday again. As per Aster's instructions, she had taken the ferry to the mainland. Once she arrived, she then took a taxi to the Kaiba Dome where someone from Aster's security team with the Senrigan group directed her to the enclosed VIP balcony area reserved for guests of Aster's. Even though it was mostly surrounded by glass, there was still an open space in it to get a better view and listen to the action down below.

Despite the news of Aster's loss at Duel Academy, the size of the crowd that had gathered to see him duel had not diminished at all. Tons of avid dueling fans, children with their parents, and the ever-growing sea of squealing fangirls had gathered in droves to see Aster duel. And he did not disappoint them. Aster put on a show right from the beginning with his moves, bringing a perfectly flawless counter to everything that his opponent threw at him. The duel was a roller coaster of back-and-forth moves, all leading up to Aster's spectacular victory. Alexis found herself on the edge of her seat with the rest of the crowd the whole time, cheering when Aster was ahead, and straining forward in her seat, practically biting her nails with anticipation whenever it looked like he was in trouble. It was exhilarating to the point where it made her feel the urge to go over her own deck again for a duel.

Once they were reunited again after the duel, Aster and Alexis left together, the chauffeur driving a casual-looking unmarked car as opposed to a limousine, which would have drawn too much attention. They then spent some time around some of the storefront areas in Domino City, walking along the sidewalks together and occasionally browsing around a few of the less-inhabited shops. Aster even bought them carryout to eat in the car. Since it was dark out by now and less people were out, it was a little easier for Aster to blend in with the crowds more. But he had still taken the precaution of changing into a disguise of sorts before he had left the stadium: A casual-looking dark blue jogging outfit with a hoodie that hid his striking silver hair.

Xxx

A few hours later, when Aster and Alexis arrived at their destination, Alexis couldn't hide the look of astonishment on her face when she got a look at the massive penthouse where they would be staying. Shielded from the rest of the city behind the massive black gates that Aster had to use a code to open, it was the size of a mansion, complete with balconies, a swimming pool, and tennis court. This was the kind of luxury home that you would see on those TV shows about celebrity lives or the architecture of vacation homes. To think that a place of this magnitude was only being used by one teenage boy seemed absurd. But it was also almost sad in a way. Just like with his yacht, Aster was all alone here, with no family or friends to share all this comfort with. No wonder it had seemed like he had spent more time at Sartorius' and Sarina's apartment than anywhere else. It may have been a lot smaller, but Aster had obviously felt more of a sense of being in a family home as opposed to living all alone in one of his gigantic properties.

"Well, here we are. What do you think?" Aster asked Alexis after they had gone inside.

"It's, um…big." Alexis said somewhat awkwardly. "Big" was an understatement. The front hall alone could have easily fit half of her house into it.

Aster chuckled at Alexis answer. "Yeah, that's usually the first thing people notice. How about I give you a little guided tour of the place so that it doesn't seem so intimidating? And we can start with the bedrooms…" He trailed off suggestively as he wrapped his arms around Alexis' waist and started trailing kisses along her neck.

Alexis sighed with pleasure from Aster's touch. Now that they were done with sightseeing and inside for the night, their passion for each other was fully ignited, and they were going to make the most of it.

"God, yes! Whatever you want, Aster…" Alexis said breathlessly in between their frantic kisses.

Aster effortlessly lifted Alexis off the ground and carried her down the hall to his bedroom.

Once they were inside, Aster and Alexis undressed each other frantically, too impatient for any foreplay.

"Didn't you say that yesterday was the last day to wait for the pill to start working?" Aster asked hopefully.

"I did indeed. So…you don't have to hold back on me anymore, Mr. Phoenix..." Alexis answered seductively.

xxx

"Damn… And here I thought that it couldn't get any better with you. Guess now we know what we've been missing, huh?" Aster asked with a smile.

"I'll have to get back to you on that one, Aster. I'm afraid that I'm still trying to find the right word to describe how I feel right now." Alexis said, still in awe from their experience. To be joined with him so completely like that was so powerful that it almost felt like it had an otherworldly quality to it.

"Well, you have plenty of time to think of one. Because we are just getting started, Alexis. We're going to do it all night, and I promise you that you'll lose count of how many times you scream my name. If you're even foolish enough to try to, that is." Aster whispered seductively into Alexis' ear, his hot breath against her skin.

Unable to respond, Alexis simply sighed in pleasure as Aster's lips attacked hers again. She could not imagine doing or enjoying this with anyone else. The idea itself was repulsive to her.

_My god, I think I'm falling in love with him… And I have no idea what to even do about it… _Alexis thought to herself in amazement before she succumbed to the pleasure that Aster was giving to her.


	13. Chapter 13

Alexis opened her eyes and slowly stretched her arms over her head. The sheets in the majestic king-sized bed were tangled around her body, having been pulled off from the corners from the force of her and Aster's sexual escapades last night. Aster was laying next to her with one arm draped loosely over her body, still dead to the world from how much energy he had spent during their passionate lovemaking. Alexis smiled softly as her gaze lingered on him for a moment. With his eyes shut and lips parted slightly, Alexis could hear Aster's soft and even breathing. When he was asleep like this, he somehow looked more vulnerable; his face displaying a look of almost childlike innocence. Alexis liked him like this. After everything that Aster had gone through in his life along with what he was facing now, it was nice to know that he was capable of taking a moment to relax and let his guard down, even if it was just during sleep.

After planting a gentle kiss on the side of Aster's face-taking care to ensure that her actions didn't awaken him-Alexis started to carefully climb out of the massive bed. However, she stopped short when she noticed the sticky wetness left on the sheets near Aster and on her own body. It appeared as if he had ejaculated in his sleep again, no doubt during the early hours of the morning. Ever since Alexis had started spending her nights with Aster a week ago, she had seen this more than once already. As much as she loved being with him, it was also true that it had taught her more about the male anatomy than she would have cared to know about sometimes. And this was one of those times.

Sighing to herself, Alexis got out of bed and quickly made her way to the bathroom to clean herself up. She knew that she couldn't afford to take too long if she wanted to get downstairs before Aster woke up. Because once he did, he would most likely be in the mood for more sexual activity to occur between them. Normally, Alexis had absolutely no objections with this. But this morning was different. Aster always prepared breakfast for them in some form-whether it was homemade or store-bought-for them. Alexis wanted to try surprising him by making it herself for a change. After how sweet and wonderful he had been to her all this time since they started seeing each other, she wanted to do something nice for him. Now that she understood what she was feeling for him, that sentiment was only growing stronger.

After hastily dressing herself in Aster's black dress shirt over a pair of panties, Alexis made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Once she gazed around the area for a moment, Alexis realized that she was at a complete loss as to where to start. The appliances in Aster's kitchen were so fancy and high-tech that she couldn't even recognize what function most of them were supposed to have. It felt like she was in the middle of a space control center instead of a place for making meals. At this rate, she didn't even know how to go about toasting a slice of bread.

_Aah… Help… _Alexis thought to herself weakly as she looked around the room with wide eyes, trying to figure out where on earth she should start.

After what felt like about ten minutes of fumbling around the kitchen blindly, Alexis finally located the refrigerator. Just as she was about to open it, a voice interrupted her.

"If you were looking for the bread, I usually keep it in the far-right cupboard overnight so that it won't be cold in the morning." Aster said casually.

Alexis gave a startled yelp and whirled around to find Aster sitting at the counter island with an amused grin on his face. Just how long had he been there!?

"Aster! You scared the heck out of me! Why didn't you say anything earlier if you were here all this time!?" Alexis asked, her face bright red.

Aster chuckled at his girlfriend's reaction. "Sorry. I just couldn't help myself. It was so much fun to see you like that. That lost expression you had while you wandered around in here was just too adorable!" He apologized.

"Hmph. Well, I was _trying _to make breakfast for us, but with how complicated everything is in here, you may as well have an android just to figure out what everything is!" Alexis said exasperatedly.

"Why didn't you just wait for me instead?" Aster asked.

"Well… Because you're always doing everything for us while I'm with you. You cook, buy food, do the laundry… I just thought it would be nice for you if I could help out a little sometimes." Alexis admitted quietly.

Aster smiled softly at Alexis' response. He then got up from his seat and walked up to her, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders as he looked her straight in the eye.

"Alexis, as much as I appreciate the effort on your part, I really don't mind doing all of this. In fact, I enjoy it. Didn't I already tell you that it was about time that you had a guy who knows how to treat you right? So, I won't have my lovely princess doing any of my housework for me. I just want you to relax and have fun while you're with me. Because just having you here is more than enough to make me happy." Aster explained gently.

Alexis felt like her heart was about to fly right out of her chest from Aster's words. He was just too kind and sweet, and…perfect. It was almost enough to make her break down right there and confess what she was feeling for him. Was it possible that he felt the same way? And did she even want to find out right now? But luckily, Aster intervened before the moment could go any further into uncharted territory for their relationship.

"Now, what would you like for breakfast? You name it, and I got it. Well, probably." Aster offered.

"Then I don't suppose you have any pancakes, do you?" Alexis asked hopefully.

"I do. So, pancakes it is, then. Coming right up." Aster said cheerfully.

"Do you need any help?" Alexis asked. Despite what Aster had told her, she felt like she had to at least offer out of politeness.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I've got this. Just sit down over here and relax." Aster said. He politely pulled out a chair by the kitchen table for Alexis, pausing to kiss her softly on the lips before returning to his work.

Once he had everything he needed to make breakfast, Aster started up a conversation while he worked.

"So, how did you sleep last night? I'm guessing even better than me since you were up first." Aster said.

"Maybe. But not by much, probably. We _did _stay up for quite a while, after all." Alexis said with a sly grin, causing Aster to chuckle knowingly.

After their session together last night that began almost immediately when they arrived at the penthouse, Aster had continued his "guided tour" for Alexis. The birth control pills had taken their sex life to a new level. No longer having to worry about having a condom ready at all times, sex was as spontaneous as it was enjoyable, even more so now. They ended up doing it everywhere last night: in bed, the floor, various pieces of furniture, up against the wall, in the shower and Aster's personal spa room, the closet. Aster had even managed to coax Alexis into having sex on the outdoor balcony with him. Clearly, he had not been kidding when he had told her that they would be doing it all night. It wasn't until almost four in the morning when Aster had _finally _become too exhausted to continue and collapsed in bed along with Alexis, falling asleep with her in his arms. It had lasted so long that Alexis almost wondered if Aster was taking some kind of drug to bring his sex drive to such an insane level. All in all, he was an amazing lover. He was passionate, but at the same time, considerate of her needs as well, always asking questions about how she felt and whether she liked what he was doing. And the best part of all was that Aster never let her go short. Depending on how fast he set the pace, sex could last anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes in one round. Alexis had never dreamed that anyone could make her feel this way, even if she had ever actually believed that she would end up dating someone back then. Being with Aster was wonderfully addictive in every way and she was all too willing to continue it.

"I hope that I didn't wear you out _too _much. After all, we still have our date today." Aster said with a smile.

"Oh, don't worry. I think I can still handle that, Aster. So, are you going to tell me what we'll be doing today?" Alexis teased.

"I would, but I don't want to spoil the surprise." Aster said.

"Mr. Mysterious, huh? Not even a hint?" Alexis asked with a flirtatious tone.

"Well… Let's just say that since you like dueling, you'll like this, too. But I'm not going to give everything away." Aster said.

"A date centered around my two favorite things: you and dueling. I can't ask for much more than that." Alexis said.

"I just hope they are in that order." Aster mused thoughtfully.

"Hmm… I don't know about that yet." Alexis said teasingly, pretending to give it serious consideration.

"Guess I'll have to do something about that…" Aster trailed off.

Xxx

Once breakfast was ready and they had started eating, Aster changed the topic to something a bit more serious.

"So, have you told your family anything about me yet? Or do they think that you're still at school this weekend instead of being corrupted by me in this lovely little excursion of ours right now?" Aster asked. His tone was light, but he was still genuinely curious.

"They don't even know that we've so much as talked to each other, and frankly, I like it that way." Alexis said sourly.

"You mean to say that your parents wouldn't approve of me?" Aster asked cautiously.

"Oh, _they_ wouldn't have any problems with you. I'm afraid that Atticus is a different story, though." Alexis said wryly.

"Then what's wrong? I'm not saying that I think it is time for you to have to tell them now, I'm just curious." Aster pressed.

"I just don't want to say anything yet. And it's not their business who I see, anyway!" Alexis said sharply, surprising Aster a bit with her tone. He got the feeling that he was missing something when it came to why Alexis was so upset about this. But he didn't want to pry unless she was ready to explain things more.

"Hey… It's alright if you don't want to tell them yet. I don't want to push you into anything that you're not ready for too soon." Aster said softly. He took Alexis' hand gently in his and started slowly stroking the back of it with his fingers, trying to convey a message of reassurance.

For a moment, Alexis didn't speak. She simply stared down at their joined hands, trying to gather the courage to ask what she had been wondering about for a little while now, but had been too afraid to bring up.

"Aster… Just how bad will it be once it gets out to the world that we're together? And please, tell me the truth and don't try to sugarcoat it. I want to know exactly what I'll be up against." Alexis asked seriously.

Aster paused for a moment, considering his answer. After about a minute, he exhaled slowly before he started to speak.

"I wasn't going to tell you this yet, but since you asked, I believe that you have the right to know. To put it quite frankly, it will be rough at first. Reporters will find you when you aren't on the island, sometimes in places where you least expect it. They will ask not just you questions, but anybody you know, including your family and friends. We'll most likely get requests to do interviews. TV, radio, YouTube, you name it. They will write articles about you and our relationship whether you like it or not. Articles that will stretch the truth about things. They will make up things and claim that you have said them. Simply speaking, you will be a figure of interest around the world for anyone who is interested in pro duelists' lives; a celebrity of sorts in your own right from being my girlfriend. Eventually, things will cool down a little. But your life won't be private anymore." Aster explained grimly.

"That sounds about…pretty much what I thought it would be like. I just wanted to hear it from you. Thank you for being honest with me, Aster." Alexis said.

"Look, I knew from the beginning that this would be a lot to deal with all at once. That's why I've been trying to start out small like I did yesterday. I'm not trying to keep this a secret, mind you. We're just being discrete right now. Today will be mostly the same. We are going out in public, but it's not somewhere where you would normally have to worry about people saying anything either. But there is still a chance that it could get out. The way I see it, this will work a lot better if we have a more gradual transition when it comes to our relationship coming out. I'm trying to make this as easy as I can for you, Alexis. But I also understand that this life is not for everyone. So… As much as I would hate for it to happen, I wouldn't hold it against you if you ever decided that you couldn't handle it…" Aster explained carefully. The thought of Alexis leaving him because of this was a very real fear in the back of his mind. But she didn't deserve the level of stress that this could bring either.

"I'm not leaving you, Aster." Alexis blurted out. She took his hands in hers and looked straight into his eyes.

Aster's eyes widened in surprise at the intensity of Alexis' response. For once, he was at a loss as to how to respond.

"Look, I know that it's going to be hard. But I wouldn't be here with you right now if I was afraid of the unknown. It doesn't matter what some reporter or anybody else says or makes up about us. They can't change the time that we spend together or our feelings. That belongs to us and that is all that really matters to me, Aster. And no matter what happens, I won't regret it. Because you are worth it, Aster." Alexis insisted. She was revealing her feelings more than she had intended to right now, but she had to make Aster see her point.

"Alexis… Thank you. I don't know how I ever got so lucky as to find you, but I promise you that I will do my best to make sure that you'll never regret choosing to be with me. You mean too much to me…" Aster trailed off quietly, unable to completely express the mix of emotions that were building up inside of him right now.

For a minute, Aster and Alexis were unable to speak. They simply sat there, smiling gently at each other with their hands still joined.

Feeling her face beginning to flush from the continual eye contact she shared with Aster, Alexis broke the silence. "Is there anymore orange juice left!?" She asked hastily.

Xxx

Once they were finished with breakfast, Alexis helped Aster clear the table and place the dishes in the dishwasher.

"Thanks, Aster. That was really great. A lot better than any pancakes I could have made." Alexis complimented.

"I don't know about that. I'm sure I'd probably like anything if you made it. But I will admit that I have too much fun cooking for others like this." Aster said.

"Well, guess I'll head upstairs to get ready now." Alexis said. But before she could even leave the kitchen, she felt Aster's hand close around her wrist.

"Wait. Don't leave yet." Aster said. His eyes greedily traveled up the length of Alexis' body, taking in her bare, luscious legs all the way up to her large breasts that were just barely confined and stretching out tightly from the black dress shirt of his that she was wearing.

"But breakfast is over…" Alexis said in confusion.

"Yeah, but I'm still hungry." Aster said lustfully as he pulled Alexis into his arms for a kiss.

"Aster, what are you- AH!" Alexis exclaimed in surprise as Aster lifted her easily off the ground and deposited her straight onto the kitchen counter. He then climbed up onto it after her.

"You want to do this right _here_!?" Alexis asked in embarrassment.

"I want to do you _everywhere_. Now, come on. You know that you want this." Aster said excitedly in between showering Alexis' face with kisses.

xxx

"That… Was… Amazing!" Alexis praised Aster, unable to stop herself from grinning ear-to-ear.

"Told you that I'd like anything that you made for breakfast!" Aster teased suggestively, causing Alexis to blush.

"But your counter…" Alexis lamented as she pointed at the hot mess from their latest escapade.

"I don't really care. But I really should clean this up…" Aster said in annoyance.

"And that's not the only thing that needs that… I'm going to take a shower before I get ready." Alexis said.

"That sounds like a good idea. Maybe I should join you…" Aster trailed off with a suggestive smile.

"We'll never get out of here if you keep finding more places for us to have sex!" Alexis scolded Aster wearily.

Aster laughed at Alexis' response. "Point taken. Don't worry, I'll be good! Until we get back, that is…" He said.

All Alexis could do was roll her eyes good-naturedly at her boyfriend's response. _Well…things are never boring with him, that's for sure! _She thought to herself.

**AN: Sorry this took a bit longer to post. This chapter ended up being so long that I had to split it up into two parts. (And their conversation with breakfast ended up turning out to be completely different than I planned.) This one and the next chapter with the date. We'll also be having a special guest of sorts next chapter in the form of our other Pro League duelist extraordinaire. Anyways, thanks for reading as usual.**


	14. Chapter 14

"So, what do you think?" Aster asked Alexis as he watched her gaze around the small, yet somewhat exclusive restaurant that he had brought her to for their first date.

"It's like a sports' bar for duelists…" Alexis trailed off in amazement.

Not long after breakfast, Aster and Alexis had left the penthouse for their date. The small restaurant was set back behind a lake of sorts that connected to the bay area of Domino City, making it harder for people to get to it on foot unless they were willing to take a little walk. It was an ideal place for a date if you were trying to avoid too much of the public eye like they were. The restaurant itself was a modest establishment with the usual tables, booths, and a small bar. However, the real attraction of it was the various large flat screen televisions on the walls. All of them were set to play coverage of dueling matches in all levels of the professional dueling circuit. There was also a connecting shop selling Duel Monsters' cards and products, as well as lots of official Pro League memorabilia. In short, it was a paradise for duelists and dueling fans alike.

"Yeah, that about sums it up. I thought you might like this with how much you like dueling, and it's also good research for our project. And the best part is that since this place is a little out of the way, not too many people besides Pro League watcher junkies come here. So, we probably don't need to worry about getting a spot on the six o' clock news just yet." Aster explained casually.

"You couldn't have picked a better place for a first date if you had tried to. But it's not like I expected anything less from you, Aster." Alexis said with a smile.

"That's good to hear. After all, I am always aiming to do whatever pleases my lady." Aster said in a tone that combined just the right amounts of charm and flirtatiousness.

"Well, you are succeeding so far." Alexis said slyly. She was all too aware of exactly everything that Aster was referring to.

Xxx

Once they had ordered their lunch, Aster and Alexis watched the match that was being aired on the screen closest to their booth. As if by coincidence, it was Zane himself who was dueling now. Normally, Alexis never liked to watch Zane's matches ever since he had adopted his new ruthless style of dueling that came with his recent transformation into "Hell Kaiser". Whenever it had been announced on TV that a duel with him would be airing next, Alexis had always either changed the channel or shut her TV off entirely. Seeing Zane changed so radically from the kind and respectful boy who had been like a second big brother to her during her first year at Duel Academy was painful for Alexis. But now here, trapped at the restaurant table while they had their lunch, there was no escaping it.

"Why don't you hurry up and play another shitty monster so that I can end this sorry excuse for a duel already!? I don't have all day!" Zane taunted his opponent with a malicious edge to his voice.

Alexis frowned in sadness and disapproval at Zane's words. While Aster liked throwing out smart-alecky insults during his matches to affect his opponents' psyche, he at least added a sense of humor to it. But Zane was just downright _mean_.

"I-I- play one monster facedown and end my turn." Zane's opponent stuttered nervously. To his credit, he wasn't surrendering despite his fear. Zane was well known for abusing the duel disk's technology to the point of causing actual physical injuries to his opponents. It wasn't uncommon for the loser in his duels to have to be taken away to the hospital for treatment after losing to Zane. None of the injuries were serious, but it didn't exactly give Zane a good reputation among duelists either. Some of them even ended up forfeiting their duels with Zane beforehand once they found out that they had been matched up with him.

"That's it? What a disappointment. You've been cowering behind your monsters throughout this whole duel. A true weakling through and through. Not that it would have mattered if you had tried to end this differently since you would have lost either way with your pathetic lack of skills. I only respect victory! Now, attack, Chimeratech Overdragon!" Zane said as he commanded his monster to make its first attack.

"Twice in a row! Three times! Four times! Five times!" Zane yelled repeatedly as he continued to use his monster's effect to mercilessly blow up each one of his opponent's monsters on the field. The force of the attacks caused shockwaves to blast around the monsters, almost making Zane's opponent lose his footing. Alexis watched with growing dread, knowing full well what was coming next. Even Aster-who had been watching silently the whole time-looked a bit uncomfortable with Zane's ruthlessness.

"Time to finish this loser! Cyberdark Dragon, attack him directly!" Zane roared.

"No, wait! I-AAAGHH!" Zane's opponent screamed in pain as he took the full force of Cyberdark's attack head-on. Zane laughed cruelly as he watched his opponent fall unconscious to the arena floor.

"AND WE HAVE A WINNER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! HELL KAISER HAS DONE IT ONCE AGAIN WITH ANOTHER INCREDIBLE, CRUSHING VICTORY! IS THERE NO ONE LEFT WHO CAN STEAL VICTORY FROM HIM!? UNTIL NEXT TIME, FOLKS!" The announcer yelled excitedly as Zane's obsessed fans cheered like crazy in the background.

Alexis felt slightly sick as she watched Zane relish in his victory, standing tall and proud with his arm raised up to the air with a twisted smile on his face as he gazed around the arena. He didn't even spare a glance at his opponent as the medics carried him away on a stretcher. Her only consolation was that since Zane's match had already ended for the day, it meant that there was no chance of Aster being matched up with him for his duel tonight. After what she had just witnessed, Alexis feared for Aster's own safety if he ever had to duel Zane again.

Not much longer afterwards, the scene on TV switched to another area of the Kaiba Dome. A reporter was interviewing Zane.

"We're here live at the Kaiba Dome after another breathtaking duel! And with us is the victor himself, Mr. Zane Truesdale! Tell us Zane, how do you feel about your latest win!?" The reporter asked eagerly as she practically shoved a microphone in Zane's face.

"Bored as hell. It was just another loser who barely even attempted to put up a good fight. It's the same thing every day here. I've pretty much lost hope when it comes to finding an opponent who can pose a challenge for me. It's been ages since I've had a duel that got me excited…" Zane said dully.

"Oh, really? But from what I've heard, the duelist who caused your first true defeat in the Pro Leagues-Aster Phoenix-still has quite an impressive winning record in the league. Don't you think that he could at least prove to be worthy challenger for you?" The reporter asked casually. Aster raised his eyebrows slightly in interest at the mention of his name.

"Aster? Heh. He's barely even _here _anymore. Obviously, he believes he has more important things to do nowadays instead of actually working on his dueling career anymore. Frankly, I'm disappointed in him. That's the only loss left that I still need to avenge." Zane complained.

Alexis couldn't help blushing a little at Zane's remark. One of the big reasons as to _why _Aster didn't duel nearly as much as he used to was because of his relationship with her.

"But haven't you heard about Mr. Phoenix's victory from last night? And he's also scheduled for another duel tonight as well. It appears that he is at least trying to get back to his weekend schedule for dueling." The reporter persisted.

"Maybe. But it doesn't matter either way. Aster won't be able to defeat me again. Nobody will!" Zane insisted.

"Yeah! Aster sucks! We want Hell Kaiser for the new world champion!" A fan yelled excitedly in the background. More started yelling and cheering in agreement. Alexis glared angrily at the screen and muttered something under her breath due to the insult to Aster. But Aster simply chuckled good-naturedly at the comment. He was obviously used to hearing this kind of talk in the league.

"All in good time." Zane said calmly with a knowing smile on his face. He seemed to be enjoying the attention he was receiving.

"So, are you saying that you aim to take the title of champion for yourself eventually, Mr. Truesdale!?" The reporter pressed.

"I will keep dueling and winning until I stand above _all _duelists in this world! The champion is no exception. My thirst for victory won't be quenched until then! Because make no mistake, _I _am the best duelist there is and I will prove that to the world!" Zane vowed determinedly. The crowd around them erupted into cheers and chants of, "KAIS-ER! KAIS-ER!".

"Well, if anyone can achieve such an ambitious goal under the stiff competition that inhabits professional dueling circuit these days, it is you, Mr. Truesdale. Now, is there anything else you would like to say before we wrap up this interview?" The reporter said.

"Yeah. You can fuck off now. I have other things to do." Zane said dismissively. He then walked off without another word.

"Well… There you have it, folks! That was our interview with the Kaiser himself, Mr. Zane Truesdale! Always quite the character, that one. And now, a word from our sponsors before we get ready for the next rollercoaster ride of a duel that I'm sure we'll have! This is Rika, reporting live from the Kaiba Dome in Domino City! Until next time!" The reporter finished. The footage then cut to a commercial break.

"I still can't believe how much he's changed. The Zane I knew would never treat his opponents like that. He's just so…cold." Alexis said miserably.

"Trying to stay competitive in the Pro Leagues is a challenge for a great number of duelists. The pressure to win so many times to advance, knowing that your career is always on the edge of a knife between so many victories and defeats… A lot of people end up dropping out when the pressure affects their physical and mental health too much. And even the ones who do well usually have their stress level increase ten-fold. Insomnia, anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol abuse… You see it all here. A fair number of duelists end up needing therapy and even medication just to cope with it all. And when they fall out of the Pros, they almost never come back. To do what Zane has done after how many losses he had is almost unheard of. He found his own resolve to bring himself back up again not just to a regular Pro League record, but as one of the highest-ranking duelists in the whole league right now. It is impressive, but the price he paid to achieve his success may have been too high, I'm afraid…" Aster explained somberly.

"Yeah… I guess I didn't think too much about it like that before. You make it all look too easy." Alexis said.

"I'm not a good model for you to base on how life in the Pro Leagues normally goes. Of course, I worry a little about the possibility of losing and am always trying to do what I can to prepare for my duels in advance. But on a whole, let's just say that I'm what you would call an exception to the rule here. But there will certainly be no exceptions for Zane if he ever duels me again. No matter what he brags to the crowd, he can't defeat me, plain and simple. He's free to dream, though." Aster explained nonchalantly.

"It's definitely something for me to think about if I ever consider a career in the league. But putting that aside, I don't think that you should underestimate Zane, Aster. He's gotten a lot better since your duel with him. Win or lose, I hope you never have to duel him at _all_. I don't want you to risk getting hurt…" Alexis said worriedly.

"You don't need to worry about me, Alexis. I'm tougher than I look. Zane's already forgotten what he was fighting for, and more than anything else, _that _is why he would lose against me. And he's even crazier for believing that he can defeat the world champion." Aster scoffed.

"And why is that?" Alexis asked carefully.

"Because even I can't defeat him. And I doubt that anyone else can either." Aster answered.

"You? But how did you even duel him to begin with? There's no record of it in your Pro League dueling history." Alexis said in confusion.

"Of course, there isn't. That's because those were private, non-competitive duels between us." Aster said.

"But…how?" Alexis asked, struggling to understand.

"Hm, looks like this is something I left out during our little "getting to know each other" time we had for those two weeks before we started dating. Although I'm kind of surprised that you didn't know about it already since its certainly not knowledge about me that was kept from the public. Anyway, the world champion, Kyle Jables, or as he is commonly known in the ring, "The D", also happens to be my legal guardian. He adopted me not long after my father was killed." Aster said.

"Wait… WHAT!?" Alexis asked in surprise. Looking at it now though, she couldn't see how she had never considered this detail before. Of course, Aster _had _to have been taken in by someone after his father's death. But for some reason, she had just never thought about it before. Maybe it was because she was used to seeing Aster being so independent with living by himself on his yacht and being a successful pro duelist. Or maybe she had assumed that that had been a role that Sartorius and Sarina had officially taken over some time ago with how close they had used to be to Aster.

"It's true. And believe me when I say that he is _not _someone that you would want to go up against in a duel. I've dueled him and seen enough of his matches in the league to understand just how he is undefeatable. It's not just how he uses his cards. At the start of every duel with him, he will begin his turn in the exact same way: doing absolutely nothing. No monsters, no facedown cards, nothing. You would think that that would put him at a huge disadvantage, but it is actually quite the opposite. He always manages to come back and win duels faster than you would think. And no one has ever managed to defeat him in one turn before he starts putting cards on the field either. Some people even go so far as to say that he must have made a pact with a demon to acquire such luck to avoid any chance of a one-turn kill." Aster explained, his voice conveying a sense of both awe and pride at the same time.

"That sounds…impossible." Alexis said honestly. As much as tried to, she just couldn't picture it in her mind. Didn't all duelists always have to try their hardest on each of their turns if they wanted to win? Was this some kind of intimidation tactic, or was the D really just _that _confident in himself?

"Not for him, I'm afraid." Aster said.

"So, I guess this makes him your adoptive father. Why wasn't he at the house? Does he know that we're staying there for the weekend?" Alexis asked curiously.

"He's off on tour for the league. So, no. He doesn't know I'm staying in town or about you yet." Aster said.

"Shouldn't you tell him?" Alexis asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the arrangement now that she knew the truth.

"Why should I? He's busy enough right now at this time of the Pro League season. And besides, I don't need his permission to bring guests there. The house is mine. I put the money down for it and rent it under my own name, not anyone else's." Aster clarified.

"What? But you just said that the D was your legal guardian! Shouldn't you be living with him?" Alexis asked in confusion.

"He is. But that doesn't mean that I have to live with him anymore. Once I started in the league, I was travelling around the world enough as it was, and so was he. Between our schedules, we didn't have as much time to see each other anymore, so we both ended up deciding that it was for the best. I moved out a couple years ago and got the penthouse to start living in whenever I dueled in town not long after I turned fourteen." Aster explained casually, as if it was a completely normal thing for a fourteen-year-old to do.

"But does he still come to visit you?" Alexis pressed.

"Every once in a while, when we can make the time, yes." Aster answered.

"And just how often is that?" Alexis asked skeptically.

"A few times a year or so. It depends on things like when and where we'll both be dueling." Aster said, trying to sound casual.

"That doesn't sound like very much. He should be taking more time off to see you." Alexis said bluntly. Her words must have touched a nerve, because she noticed Aster stiffen slightly.

"Look, he's busy enough as it is, so there isn't always time for him to do everything he would like to. That's just how it is, and I respect that. It's not like we don't still talk to each other a lot. And besides, I'm old enough to look after myself now." Aster said defensively. He almost sounded as if he was trying to convince himself of his own words instead of Alexis. As it was, he was already stretching the truth quite a bit when it came to how often he even just _talked _to the D.

_Too busy for his own son!? _Alexis thought to herself in frustration. While it was true that she had never met Aster's adoptive father herself, she still couldn't help disliking him already just from what Aster had told her. But Aster seemed determined to defend this so-called parent of his no matter what, so Alexis decided to just let the subject drop for now.

Xxx

After they were finished with lunch, Aster took Alexis next door to the adjoining card shop of the establishment so that they could browse around and possibly buy something if they wanted to.

"Wow. They really have everything here, don't they? I don't even know where to start…" Alexis trailed off as she looked at the shelves of different card packs on display.

"Well, since we need to pick out a set number of different decks to test out for our assignment, why not try picking out a theme for something new that you'd like to try out if you really want to buy new cards. I have plenty that we could use, but this way, you could find something that you might want to keep just for fun even. How about it?" Aster suggested.

"Well… I have been wanting to try out something new lately." Alexis admitted.

"What did you have in mind?" Aster asked curiously.

"The other day, I was thinking about the day when you first came to Duel Academy. I guess that was technically the first time we saw each other. I remember your deck from back then. You seemed to have made a pretty good fairy deck with Archlord Zerato. So, I want to try putting together a deck like that." Alexis admitted.

"Oh, you mean my test deck. Ah, yes. I remember that day. Now I feel even worse that I listened to Sartorius and threw that duel. I could have used that opportunity to impress you with a win and started getting to know you sooner if I had known where we had ended up now." Aster said amusedly.

"Don't flatter yourself. It would have taken more than a good duel to get me interested if you had tried for me back then." Alexis said somewhat exasperatedly.

"Yes, I guess that's true. After all, we both know what _really _impressed you when we first met." Aster teased Alexis with a devious smile. She couldn't help smiling and blushing at Aster's reminder.

"You're incorrigible." Alexis said wearily with a shake of her head.

"It makes things more entertaining. But why don't we get your new deck now? And don't worry, I'm buying, so feel free to go all out and get whatever you think you need." Aster said.

"You don't have to-" Alexis started to say before Aster cut her off.

"But I want to. This is a date, our first date. And I want everything to be perfect for you, Alexis. Besides, this stuff costs an arm and a leg, so you'll be able to get everything you need a lot easier if I'm paying." Aster insisted.

Alexis sighed, but at the same time, couldn't help smiling at Aster's words. "Alright. You win again. But I do appreciate it all the same." She said.

Xxx

Not long after they were finished shopping at the card shop, Alexis and Aster were walking back to where their ride was parked, finished with their date for the today.

"So, how did I do? Did you enjoy our first date together?" Aster asked casually, yet at the same time, genuinely curious.

"It was wonderful. You couldn't have made a better first date for us even if you had tried to. Today was really special, Aster. Thank you…" Alexis said softly.

"Good. I'm glad that you feel the same way as me. And I have plenty other ideas for more. I want us to see and do lots of new things together from now on, Alexis. There's still so much to show you… Thank you for coming here with me this weekend. I've really enjoyed being with you, I mean it." Aster said seriously. He then drew her into his arms for a slow and gentle kiss.

"Well, don't forget that we still have the rest of today and tomorrow left. Let's make the most of it." Alexis said.

"And tonight, too… Of course, we always manage to make the most of that either way if you ask me." Aster said slyly.

"I couldn't agree with you more about that." Alexis with a smile that mirrored Aster's.

"But right now, we'd better get back. I need to start getting ready for my duel." Aster reminded Alexis.

"Alright, let's go." Alexis agreed. She slipped her hand in Aster's before they started walking back to the car.

Aster felt his heart clench from Alexis' simple gesture of affection. By now, he understood his own heart enough to be able to know what it was telling him. He was in love with Alexis and it made him feel both elated and terrified at the same time. Love was something that he tended to try to avoid when it came to other people in his life. So far, all the people who meant something to him had been taken from him in some way or another and he didn't want it to happen again with Alexis. It was so easy to want to just hide her away from the rest of the world when they were together by continuing to see each other in their own private little space here with less obvious dates like the one they had just had and being together on his yacht. He was afraid that once everyone started to find out about them being together, the easier it would be to lose her. Sartorius and Sarina turning away from him should have been the last straw. It was as if fate was telling him to not get greedy and start expecting anymore happiness from other people anymore, whether it was from family or a lover. He should just be satisfied with dueling and travelling, making others happy with things like his autograph signings and projects for children. He wanted to tell Alexis the truth about how he felt about her. But he was afraid that saying the words would make the situation all too real. If he said nothing, she would be safe from whatever cruel fate destiny may already have in store for her just for simply getting too close to him. Aster still hadn't forgotten Sartorius' prediction for the future if he continued to be with Alexis. But at the same time, he wanted to take a chance. Alexis made him happier than he had ever felt in a long time, but in a much different way due to the nature of his love for her. But for now, he decided that he would keep quiet for a bit longer and let himself enjoy the peace and happiness that had entered his life because of her.

**AN: Sorry for the wait here. This chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would be. And that was even AFTER I had split it up. Next time, a certain older brother is going to find out about Aster and Alexis' little secret here. And he's not going to be a happy camper about it…**


	15. Chapter 15

Aster stood next to Alexis on the deck of his yacht as they got ready to say their goodbyes for a few hours. Alexis was going to make a brief stop back at the girls' dorm to get and put a few items away before returning to spend the night with him. It was Sunday evening now, and they were back on the island after their weekend together. After their first date on Saturday, they had returned to Aster's place for a few hours before it was time to leave for his second duel of the weekend at the Kaiba Dome. They had taken most of that time to work more on their school project together since Aster had promised Alexis that there would still be plenty of time for their schoolwork. In between their work, they went for a swim in his luxurious outdoor swimming pool. (And at Aster's insistence that he needed it to "relax" before his duel, they even managed to slip in a quickie before they got out of the pool). Not long after that, they left for the stadium, making sure to follow the same unobscured method of arriving separately and sneaking Alexis inside. After the duel (which had ended in another victory for Aster, of course), they stopped in town to grab another carry-out dinner from one of Domino City's more expensive Thai restaurants. Then after enjoying their dinner together once they returned to the penthouse, Aster and Alexis proceeded to engage in another long night of passion together.

Sunday turned out to be a little different than the day before. Since Aster had no duels scheduled for the day, Alexis had initially thought that he would want to spend the day repeating their last two nights together. However, she had been wrong. After breakfast was over, Aster took her to the movie theater in town. He explained that there were usually a lot less people coming for the daytime showings, and he had been right. The theater had not been crowded at all and what few viewers there were didn't bat an eye at Aster since he was wearing his disguise again. After Alexis had stood in for him to get their tickets, they went to see a movie that had been at the cinema for a while now, so they were the only ones in the auditorium. That meant they had been free to talk and joke around during the movie as much as they liked. (They did also end up spending a good portion of the movie engaging in a make-out session, though.) Once the movie was over, Aster took Alexis to the lake area by the duelists' sports bar they had went to for their first date. He rented them a couple single-person jet boats that were only big enough to sit in and they spent some time chasing each other around the lake since no one else was around. Then after that, they headed back and spent the rest of their time left playing Duel Monsters outside in the backyard. Alexis tested out her new fairy deck that Aster had bought for her yesterday, and then they eventually started using random decks against each other, including ones with the worst possible monsters that they could use just as a joke. Aster even brought a picnic lunch outside for them while they dueled since they were only using the cards and not their duel disks. They dueled 31 times and Alexis lost 31 times against Aster, but she still had fun simply trying lots of different cards and seeing how far she could get against him. When it was all said and done, they had spent the whole day together without having sex once. But Alexis supposed that even Aster Phoenix needed a break for rest from that _sometimes_.

But now the weekend was just about over, and it was time to start getting ready for another week of school. But before that, Alexis still had something she wanted to do first.

"Aster, I wanted to say thank you for this weekend with you. I've had a wonderful time and it's been great being with you outside of Duel Academy." Alexis said sincerely.

"You don't need to thank me, Alexis. I wouldn't have it any other way for you. And the weekend's not quite over yet. We still have tonight…" Aster said, adding a seductive edge to his voice with his last sentence.

"But I want to thank you. While we were in the card shop, I managed to buy this while you were looking at some other things. Here, I want you to have this." Alexis said. She handed Aster a small, wrapped package.

"Alexis… You didn't have to get me anything. I already told you that just spending time with you is more than enough." Aster said.

"I know that, but when I saw this, I just couldn't help myself. Won't you just open it? Please?" Alexis insisted.

"Alright." Aster relented as his curiosity got the better of him.

Aster slowly unwrapped the small package to discover a deck case. It was one of the custom-made designs that could only be bought from that card shop. The color of it was a simple sky blue, but what made it stand out was the design of two white angel wings, one on each side of it.

"It's nice. But what made you choose this particular design?" Aster asked curiously.

"Well, at first I just picked it since you had already bought me that fairy-themed deck with Archlord Zerato and Sanctuary in the Sky and it seemed to fit in with that purchase to help remember our first date better. But then I realized that it also reminded me of you, in a way." Alexis confessed.

"Oh? Let me guess? Am I your angel from heaven?" Aster teased Alexis, causing her to smile in embarrassment.

"I guess I could call you that. But the wings also fit you because they symbolize freedom. You're always doing what you want in your life and never letting anything be an obstacle for you. It's not just how successful you became as a duelist either. You have never given up on your own goals in life for a moment as far as I can see. Whether it's trying to avenge your father or stopping the Society of Light, or even just working to help kids who ended up like you by getting involved with things like the Charity Ball. And you never gave up on me either. I probably wouldn't even be here right now if you didn't have the courage to do what you did by stopping my duel with Chazz because you were brave enough to follow your own instincts and not worry about how impolite it would look to interrupt like that. You're amazing, Aster, and I'm so glad that I've met you… I mean it." Alexis said softly.

_No, you are the one who has saved me. How can I even begin to explain it? That you are my angel. No one else has ever made me feel this way… Because of you, I'm not alone anymore. _Aster thought to himself. But he couldn't make himself say the words. Not just yet, at least.

"So, will you take it? You don't have to use it for your deck if you don't like it. I just want you to have it." Alexis said.

"Yes, I'll take it, And I promise that I'll use it for every single one of my duels from now on. That way I'll always know that you're right there with me every time. This means more to me than anything else you could have gotten for me, Alexis. And…I'm glad I met you, too. Thank you." Aster said softly. He gently took the deck case from Alexis' hands. After that, he drew her into his arms for a slow, gentle kiss.

Xxx

Atticus Rhodes walked out of the main Duel Academy campus building. It was Monday afternoon now, and he was relieved to be free from his classes for the day. Ever since last year, it had been a bit of a struggle for him to keep up with how much he had missed. After disappearing from the Abandoned Dorm and going missing for so long, Atticus was forced to have to repeat his second year of high school just to make up for everything he had missed. Being possessed by a twisted nutcase who liked to duel using shadow games and hop into other dimensions whenever he wanted to certainly hadn't done him any favors when it came to leaving more free time. But more schoolwork or not, he was still glad that the whole mess with the Shadow Riders was finally a finished chapter in his life. Even though it hadn't really felt like _his _life to begin with while Nightshroud had been in control.

Just as Atticus was almost all the way down the path leading past the main gate, someone stopped him.

"Atticus! Thank Ra I finally caught up with you! Where the heck are you going, dude!? Did you forget that we were supposed to meet up at the library to work on our project?" A tall, blue-haired Obelisk boy with glasses asked as he caught up to Atticus.

Akira Taisho had been assigned to be Atticus' partner for the annual school project. Atticus had hung out with him a few times this year before, so he knew that Akira was mostly a good guy who could be trusted to do his fair share of the work. Normally, Atticus would be all for getting started on his extra schoolwork as soon as he could (even though he would prefer lounging around the beach with his guitar or surfing) because of how behind he was. But today was different. There was something weighing on his mind lately and he wanted to try to investigate a bit to confirm his suspicions before he tried doing anything else today.

"Akira, my man. Do you mind meeting up a little later? Like, two hours tops? I haven't seen Sis in a while and I want to make sure that she's at least getting on better with the books than me these days. She's been a bit out of it. So, I'm going to make a quick pit stop over at Blue Dorm version F first just to see how she's holding up. I promise I'll catch you at the library later." Atticus said apologetically.

"Well… I guess it's okay as long as we actually do it _sometime _today. I'll wait till later. But you are _way _too overprotective of that sister of yours, dude. Girls got their little secrets and they like to keep it that way, y'know? So, I think you're probably worryin' for nothin'. But hey, what do I know? It's not like I have a sister. Or even a girlfriend, for that matter…" Akira said, sighing dramatically a bit at the last part of his speech.

"Maybe you would if you follow my teachings, Akira. The Master of Love knows every trick, after all!" Atticus bragged as he pointed to himself.

"Uh, sorry, dude. But I think I'll pass on that…" Akira said awkwardly.

"Alright. Maybe another day then. But I gotta go now, so I'll catch you later, dude!" Atticus said hurriedly.

"Text me later, dude!" Akira practically shouted after Atticus as he jogged off.

Xxx

As Atticus headed for the girls' dorm, he thought back to what had happened yesterday evening. He had been heading back to his dorm after leaving the beach when surprisingly, he had run into Alexis. These days, he hadn't seen his sister that much. But he had chalked it up to her being busy with schoolwork and trying to stay away from the whole Society of Light mess. But after what he had witnessed yesterday, he realized that there was something else going on that she was keeping from him.

Begin flashback:

"_Hey, Lexi! Where are you heading at this hour? And do my eyes deceive me, or are you actually wearing something besides your uniform after school!? That is one snazzy outfit there! Got a hot date to get to?" Atticus teased. He was trying to keep it light, but at the same time, he was dying of curiosity. _

_Alexis was wearing a light blue sleeveless sundress and white sandals. A very un-Alexis-like ensemble. Sure, she wore lots of different outfits at home, but dresses were rare for her. And this was the first time Atticus had ever seen her wearing a casual outfit on the island. She basically lived in her school uniform to not attract anymore unwanted attention from her male admirers. The fact that she was breaking this rule (and with a dress of all things) suggested to him that there had to be a boy involved in this. There was simply no other explanation to him._

_Alexis rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Atticus' question. But at the same time, she was unable to suppress the slight flush that colored her cheeks._

"_Of course not. I just thought I'd try wearing something that covers my legs a bit more occasionally. There are enough perverts around as it is, and I was getting sick of it." Alexis said._

"_So, where are you going then?" Atticus pressed._

"_To the beach, obviously. I just wanted a few minutes alone to watch the waves at a time when there's less chance of running into other people. And the sunset is really beautiful tonight." Alexis lied._

"_And you need your backpack for that?" Atticus asked suspiciously._

"_I was planning on studying a bit while there's still light." Alexis answered as she quickly added in another lie on the spot._

"_Well, okay, I guess. The beach is my favorite hangout, so I can understand why you'd just want a little chill time here. But speaking of hanging out, I feel like we haven't done that in ages. And I haven't seen you around after school lately, even with Jaden and the gang. I know you don't like it when I pry too much, but is everything alright with you, Sis?" Atticus asked._

_Alexis softened a bit at Atticus' concern. "Yeah, everything's fine, Atti. I've just been busy with homework too much lately since everything kind of got backed up with all the Society of Light stuff that's been going on. I guess I've just been kind of nervous lately with how many people got sucked into that. It's weird because I know a lot of them in my dorm and they're just so…different now." She explained, not needing to fake how she felt about what had been going on at girls' dorm._

"_Yeah, I totally get ya there. Feels like I can't even count on my hands the number of Obelisk guys I know that I can even still have a normal human conversation with. You do know that you can always talk to me about these things or anything else, right?" Atticus asked seriously._

"_I do know that, and I will if I ever need to. But thanks all the same, Atti." Alexis said with a warm smile._

"_Okay. Just wanted to make sure that you know your Bro's always got your back, Lex." Atticus said affectionately._

End Flashback

About twenty minutes later, Atticus walked carefully down the hallways of the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm. Despite the fact the over half of the dorm's population were now members of the Society of Light, security was disturbingly light. He had been able to simply walk through the front door without attracting any attention. Or maybe it was intentional on their part if they believed that no one would pose a threat to them anyway.

"Atticus! What are you doing here? As much as we like seeing you, you _do _still understand that this is the girls' dorm, right?" A female voice asked with a hint of amusement in her voice.

Atticus turned to face Mindy and Jasmine, Alexis' two friends and probably the only other students here besides her who had not been taken in by the Society.

"Hey! It's my two BFFs! Glad to see there are still some ladies around here who are too smart to fall for that bogus cult stuff! As well as beautiful, I might add!" Atticus greeted, turning on the charm a bit.

Mindy and Jasmine swooned with a pleasure for a few seconds at Atticus' words.

"Yeah, Jasmine! No need for the third degree! He's on our side!" Mindy scolded.

"Hey, I only asked why he was here!" Jasmine retorted in a slightly defensive tone.

"Now, now, girls. No need to quarrel. I wouldn't want such lovely skin to get wrinkles from getting upset so easily. And to answer your question, I'm here to see Lexi. Is she here?" Atticus asked.

"Alexis went to the library about a half hour ago. But she should be back soon if you wait a little longer." Mindy answered.

"Great. Think she'll mind if I just wait in her room?" Atticus asked.

"I guess not. Want us to walk you there?" Jasmine offered.

"That'd be perfect." Atticus said gratefully.

After a short trek upstairs and down a few doors, they reached Alexis' room. But before Atticus could go inside, Jasmine spoke up. "Alexis always leaves straight after dinner and we don't even see her again until the next day." She said quietly.

"Yeah. She tries to pretend that nothing is going on, but when we checked her room a few times late at night, she's gone. I think she goes back to the Slifer dorm at night, but she just doesn't want to tell us because she's afraid she'll hurt our feelings since she already told us that she had moved back here now. But I don't blame her with all this Society of Light business." Mindy said worriedly.

Atticus frowned for a moment. That _did _seem like a plausible explanation. But for some reason, he got the feeling that there was something else going on here. But he had to make sure.

"Can't say I blame her if that's the case. Anyways, I'm just gonna chill out in here for a few until she gets back, so I'll catch you gals later, okay?" Atticus said, trying to sound as nonchalant as he could.

"Okay! See you later, Atticus!" Jasmine and Mindy said. They then waved goodbye and headed back towards the stairway.

Once inside Alexis' room, Atticus sat down in the large armchair in the corner. Just as he was about to put his feet up and get comfortable while he waited, his eyes landed on the backpack laying on her desk chair. It was the same backpack that she had had with her the other night when they had run into each other on the beach.

Even though he knew that this was wrong and that he had no right to be snooping like this, Atticus couldn't help himself. Leaving his place on the armchair, he walked over to Alexis' deck and carefully unzipped her backpack, hoping that its contents might give some clues as to just what his sister might really be up to these days.

As he started removing the items to examine them, he didn't find anything out of the ordinary at first. Just her usual schoolbooks and other studying material. Then there was a spare school uniform and underwear along with her toiletry bag. But then he found something that nearly made his eyes pop out. Among the other clothing items was a black, lacy lingerie set.

_What the hell!? _Atticus thought to himself in disbelief. For a moment, he wondered if he was in the wrong room somehow. But he knew he was right. The backpack had the little attached leather tag with "A. Rhodes" emblazoned into the design in purple cursive lettering. It was the same one he had gotten her for her birthday last year after he had returned to Duel Academy.

With growing dread, Atticus started dumping the rest of the contents of the backpack onto the desk chair. There were two magazines of some trashy women's brand that you usually found in the checkout at the supermarket. But what alarmed Atticus were the types of articles titled on the front of them: "10 Ways to Drive a Man Wild in Bed" and "What Men Want in Bed". Just what was his sister doing!? Hooking!? Because he couldn't imagine a student at Duel Academy who would even know how to get less than _half _this far with a girl, especially his own sister.

It was the last item that was truly the last straw for Atticus. Nestled in the corner was a small bottle of birth control pills. _Birth control pills. _For. His. Sister. Had the world turned flat?

Trying to stay calm, Atticus started carefully putting everything back, trying to make it look as if he had never even set foot into the room. Then he got up and left, carefully shutting the door behind him.

Before he could even think any further about what he had just seen, a voice interrupted Atticus' thoughts.

"Atticus Rhodes! Just what do you think you're doing in the girls' dorm!? I thought we wouldn't need to repeat our little talk from last year!" Miss Fontaine scolded Atticus angrily, her hands on her hips.

"Miss Fontaine! I'm so sorry! But believe me, it's not like that at all! I came here to see my sister. Mindy and Jasmine showed me to her room. That's all, I swear!" Atticus insisted nervously.

Miss Fontaine's expression softened at the mention of Alexis. "Well, I'm afraid I haven't seen her myself a lot these days. I guess I'm losing her among the sea of white…" She said somewhat sadly.

Upon closer inspection of her face, Atticus noticed dark circles under Miss Fontaine's eyes. Clearly, the Society of Light's influence over most of her students and her lack of ability to do anything about was causing more than enough stress for the teacher.

"I'm sorry, Teach… I wish I knew how to help you with that. It just makes me more worried about Alexis. Have you noticed anything different about her lately? She hasn't been herself these days and I'm kind of worried." Atticus said.

"Your sister was falling a bit behind in her schoolwork not too long ago. It's taken a bit of time, but I do think she's gotten back on track with her project and catching up on her homework again." Miss Fontaine explained.

"School project? I thought she missed the deadline for that. At least that's what she told me last time. Who's her partner?" Atticus asked curiously.

"When we had our student-teacher conferences, I told her that Aster Phoenix was the only student left not doing the regular project and that she should ask him if he was willing to make the time for it. Based on what they have been turning in to me, it seems to have worked out well for them." Miss Fontaine said.

Suddenly, it all clicked into place for Atticus. He didn't _want _to believe it. But at the same time, it made sense all _too _much. However, he still needed to make sure.

"Well, that's good at least. Maybe I'm worried about nothing. I think I'll head back now. I'll try to talk to Sis again tomorrow. Thanks, Miss Fontaine!" Atticus said rather hastily. He had a plan to try to confirm his suspicion, but he had to start fast.

As he was almost to the front door, Atticus' phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out to see that Akira had left him a text.

**Akira-Are u still coming!? I've been waiting like an hour now!**

**Atticus-I'm really sorry, but something came up and can't make it tonight. I'll make up for it bigtime tomorrow. Promise! Catch u later, dude!**

**Akira-Bruh…**

Xxx

After waiting patiently along the side of the girls' dorm for about ten minutes, Atticus finally saw Alexis come back. However, he didn't say anything to let her know he was there and let her walk past him into the building. The plan was to find out for sure just where his sister was spending her nights when she left the dorm for the night. Based on what Miss Fontaine had told him and what he had found in the backpack, it was looking more and more like Aster was involved in this. He didn't want to believe it, but at the same time, it made sense. From what Atticus had heard, Aster had something of a reputation around the Pro Leagues when it came to girls, so if there was any guy on campus who would be benefiting from those items his sister had, it was him. Whether he was actually dating Alexis, Atticus didn't know. But he was about to get some answers tonight.

Sure enough, about an hour later, Alexis emerged cautiously from the front door, the same backpack in tow again. Making sure to wait until there was a fair distance between them, Atticus proceeded to tail her.

Like Atticus thought, Alexis headed to the beach. She then followed it all the way down to the harbor near the lighthouse.

Atticus' heart sunk as he saw Alexis head straight for the one yacht parked at the end of the harbor that he knew was Aster's. Before she had even finished climbing up from the ramp, the door to the inside opened and Aster walked out onto the deck.

Alexis' face immediately lit up into a huge smile. A kind that Atticus had never seen from her before.

"You took your time. I was almost starting to get worried…" Aster teased with an amused grin on his face.

Atticus watched in horror as Aster drew Alexis into his arms and started kissing her. The kind of kiss that he never thought he'd live to see his sister willingly take part in. Alexis had her arms wrapped around his neck while Aster's were secured tightly around her waist as they made out shamelessly with each other right there on the deck. Atticus had to fight the urge to throw up as one of Aster's hands slowly travelled downwards, stopping to give Alexis' butt a squeeze, earning a slight moan from her. Atticus felt sick. Just what did this pervert think he was doing to his sister!?

The torture finally ended as Alexis pulled away from Aster slightly, trying to catch her breath.

"Aster, you know we have work to do first! Don't try to make me forget!" Alexis scolded Aster lightly with a ridiculously giddy smile on her face despite her words.

"Oh, don't worry. I know. I just couldn't resist that for a few minutes. Come on, princess. Let's go inside. I don't want you catching a cold out here. Even though we'll have plenty of heat soon enough…" Aster trailed off suggestively.

Giggling softly at Aster's words, Alexis took his hand and followed him inside of his yacht.

Once the door was shut behind them, Atticus simply stared dumbfounded at the entrance, still not quite believing what he had just saw. His little sister had a _boyfriend_. And he was the worst possible guy that she could have chosen for herself here. He had to do something about this…

**AN: So, now Atticus knows what's going on. XD Next chapter, he's going to confront her about it after she gets back. BTW, here are some details about earlier chapters that I've forgotten to mention before: The idea that Aster is an Obelisk Blue came to me from the second Yugioh Tagforce game on the PSP. When it gives the list of characters in the beginning for you to choose as your partner, Aster's dorm is labelled as Obelisk Blue. And that little restaurant on the beach from chapter 3 is also based on a location on the beach in the Tagforce games for GX. And ironically enough, Alexis actually uses a fairy deck in Yugioh GX Duel Academy for the Gameboy Advance that sort of resembles Aster's from his first duel with Archlord Zerato and Sanctuary In the Sky. Although that game was before season 2, I'm pretty sure.**


	16. Chapter 16

No matter how many times he replayed the scene he had just witnessed a few hours earlier, Atticus was still having a hard time wrapping his brain around it. Spinning around lazily in his desk chair at the Obelisk Blue dorm, he tried to find a possible reason as to just what had possessed his own sister to fall for the biggest playboy (well, aside from himself, maybe) on the island. Alexis was many things, but being shallow was definitely not one of her traits. Okay, so maybe he didn't _really _know that much about Aster. But Atticus had heard enough gossip circulated from the Pro Leagues' insider information to believe that the kid got around when it came to giving girls a good time where it counted for him: in bed. As far as he knew, Aster had never been in a formal relationship with a girl. The media would have gotten wind of that in a heartbeat. And there was certainly no news of his so-called "relationship" with Alexis either. To Atticus, this could mean only one thing: His sister was nothing but a fling to Aster. Oh, he had no doubt that Aster was _pretending _to make Alexis believe otherwise, leading her on with pretty words and such. But if Atticus knew anything about guys with a popularity level as high as Aster's, it was that they almost never held interest in one girl for too long. With a pretty boy face like that and enough charm and practice, Aster could get away with just about anything and still be guaranteed to have plenty more girls lined up waiting for him. As it was now, he got to have his cake and eat it too without even having to leave the island and risk being noticed by the media. And unlike other girls at school, Alexis would be content with keeping quiet and not feel tempted to tell everyone that she was dating the most sought-after boy in Duel Academy and the entire celebrity world. It was the perfect set-up for Aster to go unnoticed while getting his fix on the island.

To Atticus, just the knowledge that his sister was _sleeping _with Aster Phoenix made his stomach turn. How he had achieved that so quickly with her, Atticus had no idea. But one thing he was certain of was that he was disappointed in Alexis. He had thought that she was smarter than that. He had thought that she would take her time before deciding on making such a big step in a relationship. Hell, since when did his sister even _want _to date a guy at all!?

Atticus tried to remember if there had been any other signs in the past that Alexis had shown that she had been seeing Aster, but he couldn't. The only thing that had pointed to them knowing each other was the incident about a month ago when Aster had forced her out of her duel with Chazz. But Alexis sure hadn't acted like she had _liked _Aster back then. Not with the way they had argued. Atticus tried to take the fact that Aster had protected her from the duel as a possible sign that just _maybe_ he did genuinely care for her. But in the end, who was to say that that couldn't all have been an act as well? Aster was used to being on camera all the time, so he was more than good at faking emotions when he wanted to.

Whatever was going on here, Atticus knew that he had to confront Alexis about this. She had been lying to him all this time to keep her relationship with Aster a secret from him and Atticus was going to give her a piece of his mind about it. And more than anything, he had to at least try to convince her to break things off with Aster. As far as he could see, this could only end in disaster and he didn't want his little sister getting her heart broken.

Xxx

The next day after school, Atticus returned to the girls' dorm to talk to Alexis. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. Not long after classes had ended for the day, he saw his sister making her way down the hall towards her bedroom, no doubt to prepare for another night adventure with Aster.

"Atti! What are you doing here?" Alexis asked in surprise when she saw her brother leaning casually against her doorway.

"We need to talk." Atticus said seriously. Without even waiting for Alexis' response, he opened the door to her room and walked inside, waiting for her to follow him.

Feeling a growing sense of dread, Alexis wordlessly followed her brother into her room, shutting the door softly behind them. She knew better than to try arguing or avoidance tactics whenever Atticus went into full Big Brother Mode like this.

Once they were alone, Atticus wasted no time in starting on the main subject.

"Just when were you going to tell me about you and dear old Mr. Phoenix, huh Sis!?" Atticus asked accusingly.

Alexis blushed slightly, giving away any chance she might have had to bluff her way out of this. But despite that, she still tried anyway.

"What about Aster? We're working on the school project together, and we sometimes end up studying together, too. That's all." Alexis lied yet again, even if it was at least partially true.

Atticus quickly found Alexis' backpack and rummaged through it until he found the lingerie set. He thrust it out in front of her to see.

"Oh, really? And I suppose you need _this _to study!? And _this_!? Just what are you!? His sex slave!?" Atticus asked accusingly, also revealing the bottle of birth control pills.

At this point, Alexis' face was as red as a tomato. She had been caught big time and she knew it. But she was too embarrassed now to say anything to defend herself.

"Looks like Aster's been giving you a little hands-on course in sex education, otherwise, I can't see how these things help make your studying any easier! The jig is up, Sis! I was here yesterday and saw everything already, and I saw you with Aster last night when you went to meet him on his yacht!" Atticus rushed on.

"First of all, this is not _any _of your business! You broke into my room and went through my personal things! And then you start _following me_!?" Alexis said furiously.

"Oh, believe me! I am making it my business! You have been lying to me all this time whenever I asked you about where you were going or if anything else was going on in your life! I'm your brother and I was worried about you! And since I could tell that you were hiding something from me, I had to take matters into my own hands and find out what was going on! You may be able to fool other people, but I know that _something _is up once I see my own sister wearing dresses and perfume and acting like…well, a _girl _for once!" Atticus said accusingly.

"Look, Atticus. I'm sorry that I lied to you. I really am. I swear that I was going to tell you everything, eventually. I just needed some more time because I knew that you were going to react like this." Alexis apologized somewhat wearily.

"What's done is done and we can't change how we handled it then. But you're going to start talking now, Sis. I want to know the whole story, _everything_, from the beginning to now. And no more damn lies." Atticus said seriously.

Alexis took a deep, slow breath. Then she started talking. She told the whole story to Atticus, without leaving anything out. Starting from her first meeting with Aster at the lighthouse and how she had ended up sleeping with him on the spot. Then continuing to their brief two-week platonic period before their mutual agreement to start dating and being lovers. Finally, Alexis explained the present state of her relationship with how she had been staying over at Aster's yacht, as well the weekend trip to his penthouse and their first dates. Throughout her whole story, Atticus listened quietly, save for a few angry noises and knuckle cracking during the parts pertaining to their physical relationship.

After Alexis was done, Atticus remained silent for a few moments. Then, he looked her straight in the eyes and finally said something.

"Look, I hate to be so blunt about all this, but from everything you just told me there's no other way to say this. You're on a sinking ship and you need to abandon it as soon as you can." **(AN: No, I will not abandon this ship. XD) **Atticus advised Alexis grimly.

"Wha- What do you mean?" Alexis asked somewhat nervously.

"I mean that you're being used. Why else do you think Aster rushed you into everything so fast!? It's barely even been a month and he's already showering you with gifts and sleeping with you. And now you're practically living with him. You are moving _way _too fast here. Don't you see what's wrong with that? Face it, Sis! You're his _regular_." Atticus said.

"His regular!? Are you trying to say that Aster only wants me for sex!? If that's what you think, you're wrong. If he really only wanted that, he could have easily found someone else who would be down for that with no strings attached. What would be the point of pretending to date someone?" Alexis argued.

"Simple. Because he knew right from the start that you were one girl who would keep it a secret, and that's what he wants." Atticus answered simply.

"Except you're wrong. Aster and I have already started going out in public together. We're just starting out small because he knows what is going to happen once everybody finds out about this. He's explained all of this to me already and that's why we're in a gradual process when it comes to our relationship. He's doing this because he cares about me. I will admit that we got started a bit quickly. But that's just the way it happened." Alexis explained.

"Well, if he does decide to go public with you, that does have advantages of its own for him. After all, if a guy in his position goes too long being single, people might start to wonder what's stopping him from doing otherwise. They might even start questioning his…_preferences_. If you get what I mean." Atticus said with a deliberate nonchalant edge in his voice.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! I don't know what has made you jump to these conclusions, but I'm going to tell you right now that you're wrong about Aster. You're judging him just because he's famous when you don't even know anything about him as a real person!" Alexis insisted.

"I know enough to know that he's nothing but trouble for you. You may not have heard, but your boy Phoenix has built something of a reputation for himself in the Pro Leagues. It's not enough for widespread news, but let's just say he's been with enough girls to show that the dueling ring isn't the only place where he's a pro." Atticus said.

"I already could tell that he's slept with other girls before me. So what? Just because he wasn't completely pure doesn't mean that he isn't serious about me." Alexis countered.

"Even if he is, I still don't want you with him." Atticus said stubbornly.

"Funny how you say that. Because you were always begging for me to get interested in guys. Like how you pushed me about Jaden and Chazz, or even Zane. I thought you wanted me to start acting more like a normal teenage girl, and now when I actually do have a boyfriend, you're throwing a fit about it! Why should Aster be any different for you!?" Alexis said frustratedly.

"Because he's too mature for you, that's why. You're better off starting out with someone who's just as innocent as you when it comes to all of that. I have no problem with them because I know that they aren't the type of guys who would hurt you. I'm only looking out for you, Sis." Atticus said softly.

"But Aster's not like that! He's always trying so hard to help others, and it breaks his heart when he feels like he hasn't done enough. He's gentle and kind and always trying to make sure that I'm happy when I'm with him, no matter what we're doing. And its not just that. He's been alone for a while now, and that's made him just appreciate every moment we have together even more. He puts on a brave face in public, but he's really more vulnerable than anyone knows." Alexis explained quietly. And she knew it was true. She saw it every time she was with Aster. How he treasured even the simplest things they did together, like having tea over homework or simple walks along the beach together. How he never seemed to want her to go home for the day. Behind the confident exterior he put up during his duels was a boy who simply wanted to feel a sense of belonging with someone. The boy she loved…

"I can see that Aster's definitely worked his magic act on you. I admit that I was surprised at first because I didn't think you were one to fall for the lady killer type. But now that I really think of it, I guess it would take someone as good at what he does as him just to have a chance of being able to win you over." Atticus said thoughtfully.

"I wish you'd stop talking about him like that. Aster is the only guy I've met who actually realized I was a girl AND never put me up on some pedestal for superficial reasons like almost everyone else here. Because he already knows how it feels to be valued for all the wrong reasons." Alexis said.

"Of course, you're no different from any other girl for him. He's seen way more girls than most other guys here, so it's not that hard for him to make you believe that." Atticus said with an exasperated roll of his eyes.

"You're not going to let up, are you?" Alexis asked in annoyance.

"No. So, tell me. When's his birthday?" Atticus asked.

"Oh, no… We are _so _not going there." Alexis complained, knowing full well what Atticus was getting at.

"Yes, we are. Come on. When is his birthday?" Atticus pressed.

"December 19th." Alexis answered grudgingly.

"Just great; he's a Sagittarius. The eternal wanderer. The eternal _player_. All the more reason why you should stay away from this guy. And it helps even less that you're a Taurus, and that is _not _a compatible match for you, dear sister." Atticus advised. He took his "Master of Love" duties quite seriously.

"You're seriously going by pseudo junk science like astrology to make an argument against my boyfriend!? This is stupid!" Alexis said in exasperation.

"You know what? You're right. It doesn't matter what argument I make. Because it's already too late. I can see that you've fallen for him, so it looks like you're just going to have to find out the hard way…" Atticus said wearily.

"I'm glad that you at least realized that. Aster and I really like each other and I'm not going to stop seeing him no matter what you say! So, the sooner you start accepting that he is an important part of my life, the easier it will be for all of us. But since you've made it clear that you're not willing to even give him a chance, we have nothing more to discuss right now, Atticus! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like some time in here _alone _right now!" Alexis said angrily. With that, she practically pushed Atticus out the doorway, slamming the door in his face.

Atticus stood in the hallway, silently fuming to himself. Deep down, he hadn't expected Alexis to listen to him. But did she have to be this stubborn? But more than anything, this was Aster's fault. He had lured his sister in like using bait on a fishing line, and now she was totally hypnotized by his charm. Alexis was too far gone to listen to sense. He had seen the way she had looked at Aster last night to know that she was in love with him. After all, he had seen _that _type of look directed at him far too many times already by girls. The difference was that unlike Aster, Atticus knew when he had to cut the ties sooner before it got too bad like Alexis' case. Unlike Aster, he always did his best to make it exactly clear to girls just what they were signing up for whenever they got involved with him. He liked to have fun, but he wasn't a scumbag.

Atticus may have failed when it came to trying to save his sister, but he wasn't going to give up just yet. It was time he had a little talk with Aster…

**AN: And now we have only one more chapter left of Atticus' Adventures. XD I gotta admit that I've been having way more fun with this than I thought that I would. I like writing Atticus POV. So, there may even be another situation for him in a future chapter. Next time, he will confront Aster about his relationship with Alexis. Let's just say that they will settle it like people usually do in Yugioh. If you get what I mean... XD BTW, the horoscope stuff was from Aster and Alexis' birthdates listed in the GX manga.**


	17. Chapter 17

Atticus walked at a brisk pace towards the harbor, duel disk in hand. Going by the times he had already seen Alexis leave her dorm after school, he judged that he still had a few hours before she came to Aster's yacht for the night. The sooner he confronted Aster about this, the better. Even though he knew that the chances of his idea working were slim to none, Atticus knew that he had to try to do _something _to stop that creep from violating his little sister anymore while he got her hopes up further and further for nothing.

Once he reached the harbor, Atticus breathed a silent sigh of relief when he saw Aster on the deck of his yacht. He was sitting casually at a small table and chairs, casually flipping through a book. He would pause occasionally to take a sip from the straw of what appeared to be a tall glass of iced tea. Just the very _air _of carefree happiness that Aster exuded made Atticus want to go up there and start punching his lights out. He looked too happy with that stupid little smile, and it was driving him crazy. But then again, what guy wouldn't be if they were getting laid as much as Aster was right now?

Seeing that the walkway ramp leading up to the deck was left out (no doubt in preparation for Alexis' arrival later), Atticus simply started climbing up without even bothering to announce his arrival to Aster.

"I thought you might show up today." Aster said casually, not even bothering to look away from his book.

Atticus sighed inwardly in frustration. Alexis must have tipped Aster off not long after his visit to the girls' dorm.

"Let me guess. Am I about to get the "big brother talk"?" Aster asked amusedly, still not taking his eyes off his book.

"No. I like to call this the "big brother is going to kick your ass talk". I've found that it works _much _more effectively when it comes to dealing with guys like you who think that they can just do whatever the hell they want with my sister." Atticus said threateningly.

Aster only responded with a slight chuckle, causing Atticus to become even more infuriated.

Atticus strode quickly over to where Aster was sitting. Once he was there, he yanked the book out of his hand and grabbed him forcefully by the collar area of his shirt, forcing him to look at him.

"Hey, kid! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Atticus snarled in Aster's face.

Aster frowned slightly at Atticus' actions. He then very carefully removed his hand from the front of his shirt with a firm grip.

"Look, I understand that you're upset about this. In fact, I expected it. Alexis is your sister and you care about her. So, of course you're going to be wary of a guy you don't know that you only just found out has been involved with her for about a month now. But that doesn't give you an excuse to just randomly come up here to my private property without an invitation and start getting in my face like this. There's no reason why we can't discuss this civilly. So, unless you are ready to start doing that now, it's time for you to leave. You're Alexis' brother, so I don't want to hurt you. But touch me again, and you will regret it." Aster said coldly.

Normally, Atticus would have just clobbered any guy who had challenged him like that. But the strength of Aster's grip when he had pulled his hand away and the cold, steely gaze that he was giving him right now without a break in eye contact somehow told Atticus that this was not someone he could intimidate or hurt easily.

"Alright, then answer me this: Why are you doing this with her? Alexis already explained everything that has happened between you both, so I know just how fast it all started. If you were just dating, that would have been one thing. But you've been pushing her into sex right from the start and that is wrong. Would it have killed you to at least buy a girl dinner before you started banging her right there on the spot!?" Atticus asked frustratedly.

"It sounds like Alexis didn't quite tell you the whole story about our first meeting. With all due respect Atticus, I was only trying to defend myself. Your sister was pretty angry about me beating her little pals, so I tried the first distraction tactic that came to mind in the heat of that moment. Let's just say that it worked even better than I thought it would." Aster said with a slight chuckle.

When Atticus didn't reply, Aster continued. "I know it sounds bad but come on. You probably would have done the same thing if it had been you in my position with another girl. A pretty girl was about attack me, we got caught up in the moment with the adrenaline running high, and then things happened. It's not as bad as you think." He insisted.

"Except when that girl happens to be my sister. You got serious with her _way _too fast. She's not ready for all of that yet! And she especially doesn't need to be with someone like you who is just going to get bored and move on eventually!" Atticus argued.

"I will admit that our relationship progressed quickly. But sometimes that's the only way for things to work out when two people become as attached to each other as fast as we did. But just how can you decide how you think this will turn out based on what you think of me when you really don't know me to begin with?" Aster said seriously.

"Please. I know enough about you and your little side tours in the Pro Leagues to see that this is all just a bit of fun for you while you're staying on the island. I've seen how guys like you operate. You'll go after the girl who's the hardest to get for you because that's the biggest thrill of the game." Atticus said disgustedly.

"If that was true, then I would have already parted ways with Alexis right after we met at the lighthouse. I don't spend this much time on people I don't care about." Aster said.

"Well, you won't be spending any time with her at _all _once I'm through with you!" Atticus declared.

"But that is our choice, so I don't see how you're in a position to stop us from seeing each other." Aster said.

"Then here's how we'll decide that position: I challenge you to a duel, kid! Right here, right now. And if I win, you're going to stop seeing my sister. Permanently." Atticus challenged as he held out his duel disk for Aster to see.

"Challenging _me _to a duel!? Oh, you're too funny. You do understand that you can't defeat me, right? Even Alexis can't. Oh, she tries, I'll give her that. And she's even gotten pretty close a few times. But it's not enough against me. So, don't think that you'll fare any better." Aster said with a smug grin on his face.

"Ok, so maybe I won't win. Believe me, I don't expect this to be easy. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to just give up without a fight! So why don't you save your bragging until it's actually warranted?" Atticus challenged.

"There's no "maybe". You won't win, dude. But if you insist on humiliating yourself like this, I'll accept. I don't back down from a challenge to a duel. So, why don't we get started? And when _I_ win, you'll stop interfering with my relationship with Alexis." Aster said with a devious smile as he took out his duel disk from behind his chair and put it on.

"Alright, you've got yourself a deal, Aster." Atticus agreed. A part of him was nervous about the new condition Aster had just dropped. But it was too late to back down now. All he could do was try his best and hope that it would be enough to somehow beat Aster.

"DUEL!" Both Aster and Atticus shouted as they readied their duel disks.

"Since we're in my territory, I'll go first. I'll start with playing my spell card, Destiny Draw. By discarding one Destiny Hero monster from my hand, I get to draw two cards from my deck. Then, I'll set one monster facedown in defense position and set two cards. That's it for my turn. Now, show me what you got!" Aster said.

"You're going to wish I hadn't. It's my turn!" Atticus said.

When Atticus looked at his hand, he could hardly believe his good luck. Depending on what types of facedown cards Aster had, he might have a chance to finish this in one turn!

"First, I'll play Red-Eyes Black Chick **(ATK 800 DEF 500)** in attack mode! By using its effect, I can special summon one Red-Eyes Black Dragon **(ATK 2400 DEF 2000)** from my hand! But that's not all! I play the spell card, Double Summon! It lets me normal summon another monster during my turn. So, I'll use it to bring out Mirage Dragon **(ATK 1600 DEF 600)** in attack mode!" Atticus said.

_So far, so good. _Atticus thought to himself.

"Now, this where it gets good! I play the spell card, Nobleman of Crossout! It lets me choose one facedown monster on the field to destroy and then banish it after that. So, say goodbye to whatever you have hiding there!" Atticus said.

Aster's facedown monster blew up on the field, revealing Destiny Hero Defender **(ATK 100 DEF 2700)**.

"That's a pretty high defense monster you had there. Even my Red-Eyes couldn't have beaten it. But now you're in trouble with him gone. I play the spell card, Inferno Fire Blast! It deals damage to you equal to the original attack of a Red-Eyes Black Dragon on my field!" Atticus announced triumphantly.

_Shit! _Aster thought to himself. He had to move fast now if he wanted to stay alive this turn.

"I activate Destiny Hero Decider's effect from my graveyard! By bringing him back to my hand from my graveyard, the effect damage that I would receive from your card changes to zero!" Aster announced. Just as the blast of fire was about to hit him, Decider appeared in front of him as a shield, causing it to bounce away from him.

_#$%&! _Atticus swore to himself in frustration. He had been _so _close to having a near-surefire shot at defeating Aster. If he had taken Inferno Fire Blast's effect, all Atticus would have had to do was attack with Mirage Dragon and that would have most likely defeated him as long as Aster's cards were traps that could only be activated during battle. Mirage Dragon's effect would prevent those from working while it attacked. But _of course, _Aster just had to have some bullshit card that he could even use from his own graveyard to save his ass right at the most convenient time for him. Clearly, he had planned to have him as back-up from the start when he chose to discard him to use Destiny Draw.

"Tch, fine. Lucky for you, my Red-Eyes can't attack during the turn I activate Inferno Fire Blast. But there is still Mirage Dragon! I'll give it the equip spell, Twin Swords of Flashing Light-Tryce. By discarding one card, I can equip it to my monster. It loses 500 attack points, but on the upside, it can attack you twice in one turn! And thanks to Mirage Dragon's effect, you can't activate trap cards when it attacks! Now, give him hell, Mirage Dragon!" Atticus said.

_And I'll show you that you're not the only one who can take advantage of having to discard their cards to the graveyard… _Atticus thought to himself as he looked at what he had just sent to his with Twin Swords' effect.

Aster groaned slightly as Mirage Dragon's attack hit him. His two trap cards were of no use to him right now. D-Counter and D-Chain were useless to him without any Destiny Heroes on his field. And even if he did have one, he couldn't have used them anyway right now thanks to Mirage Dragon's effect.

"Attack him again!" Atticus shouted as he watched with satisfaction as the second attack nearly blasted Aster off his feet.

Aster growled in irritation after recovering from the last direct attack. Atticus dueled aggressively, but at the same time, he had strategy. If it wasn't for Destiny Hero Decider, he would have actually lost the duel by now. And he had still lost over half of his life points in just one turn. He had to finish this _fast_.

"To finish up, I'll set one card facedown and end my turn. You may have survived this turn, Aster. But don't think that it will be easy. I have more surprises in store for you." Atticus said.

**Atticus- LP 4000 Aster- LP 1800**

"It's my turn now." Aster said. He couldn't help smiling when he saw what he had just drawn. Now everything was set.

"I gotta say, I'm impressed, Atticus. You managed to almost defeat me in one turn and that is no small feat. Now I see who Alexis learned how to duel from. Because you duel just like her. There's power, but I could tell from those opening moves that you try to prepare for everything else, too. It's all there in your cards: Mirage Dragon to try to protect yourself from some effects, and Inferno Fire Blast to add in some direct damage. It reminds me of how Alexis' Cyber Girl deck works with cards like Cyber Blader, Prima, and Tutu. You guys try to account for lots of different situations in your decks and that is what makes you so good at dueling. Not as good as me, of course. But with some work, I think you both have a good chance of making it to the Pro Leagues." Aster complimented Atticus sincerely.

"If you're trying to get me to let my guard down by flattering me, it's not going to work. You've got your work cut out for you now, Aster." Atticus warned.

"Quite the opposite, in fact. I was just about to say that it's such a shame that I have to end a duel I'm truly enjoying so soon already. Because you are going to lose in this turn, Atticus." Aster said with a smile.

"What do you mean!?" Atticus asked nervously. Despite his advantage, he had a bad feeling. Aster wasn't a professional for nothing, and when someone as good as him told you what he just had, there was good reason to believe it.

"You'll see what I mean. First, I'll play my spell card, Nightbeam. I can use it to destroy your facedown card. And the best part is that it doesn't get to activate its effect thanks to Nightbeam's effect." Aster said.

Atticus watched helplessly as his trap card, Red-Eyes Spirit, was destroyed. He had planned to use it when the time was right to bring back Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning. That would have allowed him to use it to most likely destroy Aster's monsters during his next turn. But it looked like that was all over now.

"Now I play the spell card, Polymerization! By fusing two Destiny Heroes, I will now bring out Destiny Hero Dystopia! **(ATK 2800 DEF 2400)**. And now I'll play my trap card, D-Chain, to increase his attack by 500 points. Now, here's where the real fun starts! Since you like to deal direct damage so much, then you're gonna love this! When Dystopia is special summoned, I can use its effect to give you direct damage equal to the attack points of a level four or lower destiny hero in my graveyard. And since I choose Destiny Hero Celestial, you lose 1600 life points!" Aster said with glee.

Atticus groaned in pain as Dystopia's direct damage hit him. He had heard about how strong Aster's Destiny Heroes could be from hearing about Jaden's first duel with him. But this was getting insane. And he had a feeling that it was only going to get worse.

"Now, I will attack Mirage Dragon with Destiny Hero Dystopia to destroy it! Oh, and did I mention D-Chain's other special effect? Whenever a monster that I used it on destroys one of yours, it deals an extra five hundred points of damage to you! And that is enough to spell game over for you!" Aster said happily as he delivered the finishing blow.

"NOT COOL, MAN!" Atticus yelled (**AN: Imagine this as Atticus' duel loss scream in Yugioh Duel Links if they ever added him to the game.) **as he took all of the damage head on.

**Atticus- LP 0 Aster- LP 1800 Winner-Aster**

"It didn't last very long, but that was a good duel, Atticus. You almost would have defeated me, but it looks like destiny was on my side this time. So, as per our agreement, you won't try anything else to stop me and Alexis from being together." Aster said.

"I may not be able to do anything about it now, but that doesn't mean that I have to accept it!" Atticus argued.

"That's true. I can't say anything to change your mind about me and I understand that. Only time can do that. Because despite what you believe Atticus, I really do care about your sister a lot more than you know. Probably even a lot more than she knows. And I promise that you will see that." Aster said seriously. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away into the doorway of his yacht, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Atticus slumped his shoulders in misery. He had failed to save his sister and it was all over now. All he could do was hope that Aster was telling the truth…

**AN: I was originally going to update something else first before this, but I just couldn't help myself. And the same will go for the next chapter, too. And this ends Atticus' little three-part story arc! It's been real fun writing from his POV, so I'll probably add another chapter for him eventually down the line. I hope I did everything right with the duel here. The Destiny Heroes are kind of tricky, so I hope I didn't screw up any of the effects. Destiny Hero Decider's effect only says that it turns effect damage to zero, not negate the card itself. So I figured that technically, Inferno Fire Blast was still activated. Thanks for reading, and please review if you can! But, um, no pressure. XD**


	18. Chapter 18

"I still can't believe my brother made you duel him just to try to get us to stop seeing each other. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Aster. Atty seems to have a mental block when it comes to you. He doesn't even know anything about you as a person before just deciding that you're just another creep with the worst of intentions when it comes to me." Alexis complained to Aster.

It was a few hours after Aster's duel with Atticus, and Alexis was staying over at the yacht again for the night. After finally finishing their "victory celebration" as Aster had called it, they were both now laying casually together in bed. Alexis was curled up against Aster's side with her head resting against his chest while he gently stroked her hair.

"He's just being the typical overprotective big brother. It's understandable and I don't hate him for it. And besides, it's not like he ever had a chance of defeating me anyway. Although he did surprise me a bit, I'll admit. Your brother is pretty skilled for someone who hasn't had any professional dueling experience. I could tell just from those few turns that he is a duelist who tries to account for as many possible situations as he can. Same with you. So, I guess now I know how you learned the ropes." Aster said with a smile.

"Atticus taught me a lot about dueling when we were kids. He's the more patient of the two of us, so he was able to help me pace myself and learn from my mistakes whenever I got frustrated. And believe me, I know what it's like to face his _real _deck, too. He was going easy on me during that duel we had earlier this year. If he had used his full red-eyes deck then like the one you faced, I probably would've lost and gotten stuck as a part of his idol team wearing that stupid dress. That's probably why he didn't use it on me then in the first place." Alexis explained.

Aster chuckled softly at his girlfriend's slight irritation. "You will be gaining more than enough popularity with the masses once it's out that you're with me, I'm afraid. But I don't think that the dress sounded like such a bad idea from what you showed me. I'm sure you would look even more beautiful in it." He said, causing Alexis to blush slightly.

"I already told you, Aster. I am _not _wearing that dress." Alexis insisted.

"Not even just for me? C'mon. No one else would have to see." Aster asked teasingly with an exaggerated pout.

"Nope." Alexis answered firmly, scowling in exasperation with her arms crossed in front of her.

"Okay, okay. I know when I'm beat." Aster conceded lightly.

"I'm just glad you were able to beat Atticus. I mean, I know you're on a different level from him, but I was still impressed when you told me everything that happened in the duel. Besides you, the only one who ever defeated his red-eyes deck was Jaden back when we were dueling the Shadow Riders last year before you came here. Before then, he didn't have that deck." Alexis explained.

Aster had to suppress an irritated groan. He didn't want to hear any more about the heroic tales of Jaden Yuki from last year. He knew it was irrational to feel this way since he knew that Alexis had already made her choice when it came to who she preferred to be with, and that Jaden probably wasn't even interested in Alexis to begin with. But it still bothered him. Any time he heard anything about Alexis' first year at Duel Academy, all Aster could think of was how things could have been different if only he had come a year earlier. How he wouldn't have let anything happen to her if he had been there. How they could have gotten to know each other even sooner…

Despite his personal feelings though, Aster had found that Jaden was a bit more reliable now than he had initially believed back when they had first met. Which brought him to the next topic he could bring up before he had to listen to too much more about last year, hopefully.

"Speak of the devil, I talked to Jaden yesterday. He's been looking into the Society of Light lately and wants to go over things with me a bit to see if we can come up with any new ideas for dealing with them." Aster mentioned casually.

"Really? Well, that's good to hear. I'll admit I'm guilty of putting the whole issue on the back burner ever since the duel with Chazz, so I'm all ears if you guys come up with anything new." Alexis admitted.

"Funny you should bring that up, because Jaden told me that that was part of what made him decide to start looking into it more. He said that he thought I had a point when I blew up at him back then and that maybe he wasn't taking the situation as seriously as he should be. But that's changing now. I was quite impressed, actually. From what he explained so far about what he's been doing, it looks as if we've been thinking along the same lines." Aster said somewhat admiringly.

"Well, if you're going to talk to Jaden tomorrow, then maybe it's a good chance for us to tell him and our other friends that we're together now." Alexis suggested.

"They're not _my _friends. I just tolerate them because of you and that we're all in the same boat now with the Society of Light." Aster said, his tone a bit harsher than he had intended it to sound.

"But maybe they could be if you let them." Alexis pointed out gently.

"They're tolerable. But overall, they're still too much like children. I'd rather just spend more time with you. And what brought this on anyway?" Aster said, feeling somewhat annoyed.

"Aster, it's not like I don't love being with you. But maybe it wouldn't hurt for you to expand things a little? It might be nice for you to have some new friends, too. Atticus told me that he thought we were spending too much time together. And, well…what if he's right?" Alexis explained somewhat hesitantly.

She didn't want to consider it, but maybe there was some truth to her brother's words. Aster may have given her some time until she was ready to be his girlfriend, but she had given in to him awfully quickly when it came to advancing their physical relationship as well. Alexis realized that maybe she had said yes without much of a fight simply because she had been worried of how Aster would react if she had said no. Would he have not wanted to see her at all if she had refused? Or maybe that was just what Aster had been _hoping _she would be afraid of happening. With how well everything had been going between them so far, Alexis hadn't really thought much about it. But Atticus had made her consider things more now. As it was, she was practically living with Aster now. As much as she loved it and wasn't going to just end it, Alexis figured that it at least couldn't hurt to try to get Aster interested in spending a little time with a few other people, too.

"Oh, so _that's _where this is all coming from. I should have known. Alexis, please don't tell me that you're seriously going to believe him over me? This is what he wants. To make you reconsider being with me. I don't mind us telling Jaden and the others about us, and I will _try _to be a little more open with them around you if that's what you want. But don't let your brother make you believe that we should start revamping our social lives all of a sudden. Don't you trust me!?" Aster argued.

"Of course, I do! And I'm not saying that I wanted to spend any less time together than we do now. It was just an idea, really. I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't think that you didn't deserve to have more people in your life that can make you happy, Aster. What we have is one thing, but you are also capable of being a good friend. And you deserve to have that much yourself after everything that happened to you. I know you're still hurting over Sartorius and Sarina leaving you…" Alexis explained, somewhat startled by Aster's reaction. She had only suggested that he try to make a couple more friends, so she didn't know where Aster had come up with "revamping their social lives" from.

Aster softened a bit at Alexis' words. "Hey, I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you about this, Alexis. It's true that except for you, I've been distancing myself from others even more since all this happened. I guess I still feel like I need to be careful. You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, so I've been focusing on that every chance that I can. But eventually, I think I won't feel as afraid so much. Let's just take things one day at a time, okay? Tomorrow, we'll see the others and tell them about us. Then we'll go from there. After all, I did say this was a gradual process. So, your friends are the safest bet when it comes to telling more people. They can't take it any worse than your brother, at least." He explained apologetically.

"It's okay. I know all of this is hard for you right now with how Atticus took the news. But it's going to be alright, Aster…" Alexis said gently.

"I know that, as long as I have you…" Aster said.

"It's late now. We should get some sleep." Alexis said.

"Alright. Sleep well, my princess…" Aster whispered gently into Alexis' ear. He then planted a soft kiss on her lips after turning off the lamp on the nightstand.

Alexis smiled as she snuggled into Aster's arms under the soft, silk sheets and blankets of his bed. More than anything else with him, she loved this brief time right before they fell asleep at night when she just enjoyed being close to him like this. But at the same time, it made her worry about the future. There was only a little more than a year of school left before they graduated. Just what would happen to their relationship after that? Before Aster, Alexis had been more excited with the idea of getting done with Duel Academy and getting out into the world. But now, it was almost as if she wished they could stay like this forever if it meant always being able to have as much time with Aster as she did now. Eventually, Alexis wanted to go on to college to study to be a teacher, possibly at a good school overseas. And then she would go on to teaching at a dueling school somewhere. But just where did Aster fit into the whole equation? Sure, his schedule was less heavy now with him taking time off due to personal problems with the Society and trying to find his father's murderer. But once all that ended, he would be travelling around the world a good deal of the time with his pro league career. How would they have time to see each other even half as much as they did now? Just what were they supposed to do after school was over? She loved Aster, but she didn't want either of them to give up their whole career for each other. And what if he never even wanted to consider something like that in the first place for her? Just because Aster was seeing her now didn't necessarily mean that he felt as strongly as she did about him. That he cared for her, Alexis was certain of. But what if it didn't go beyond that for him? For all she knew, Aster could just see this as a regular relationship where it was simply enjoyable for them to be together like this and nothing more. Alexis knew that she should at least tell Aster how she really felt about him if she ever wanted her questions answered, but she was too afraid of what he might say. For now, she decided that she would at least wait a little longer and enjoy being with him like this while it was still easy. Because once everyone started finding out, it might be easier to see just how serious Aster really was about them being together as a couple.

**AN: So, in case you are wondering…yeah, I did cut out all the lemon parts in this story. I still have this story in its original form on my A03 (Archive of Our Own) account (along with some other things that will eventually be rewritten on there that I deleted here), so you can go there if you want to read it like that. I'm Raina921 if you search, but I will also try to make a link on my profile here if I can. Sorry that I had to do that. Let's just say that enough has happened to make me realize that having more than one lemon story on my account may not be a good idea and leave it at that. Although there aren't a whole lot of other lemons planned beyond this point for this story. Anyway, we are finally getting into some more relationship conflict here, if you hadn't already noticed. (And believe me, this is nothing so far.) One of the big themes of this story is just how their relationship suffers from starting too fast with the physical side from how they first got into at the lighthouse. That, and spending way too much time together in general. **

**Kias- You may be right about Zane. I wish we had more of a sense of what his life in the Pro Leagues as Hell Kaiser was like, but the anime wasn't very helpful in that regard. I've been wondering if maybe it would have been more in-character for him to just blow reporters off entirely, so idk. And it didn't help that I think I started 5Ds around that time, so maybe Jack Atlas stuck in my head a little when I wrote that scene. Lol I looked at this again without the lemons and it does read a little cleaner with staying on the plot focus more easily, so I'm not really upset about the changes.**


	19. Chapter 19

"I hope we can come up with some real plan of action against the Society of Light today, even if it's just a way to gather more information. From what Jaden's told me so far about his duels, there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel. But the question is how to deal with the sheer numbers against us…" Aster said seriously to Alexis as they walked to the designated meeting place that they had agreed to meet Jaden and the others at.

Alexis didn't really answer Aster, instead just choosing to respond with a vague, "mm-hm" sound. As concerning as the matter with the Society of Light was, she was more preoccupied with what else they had planned to tell the group.

Picking up on her mood, Aster turned to Alexis in concern and lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked her softly.

"I'm fine. Just a little nervous about telling them about us." Alexis confessed.

"Why would you be? Even if it's unexpected, at least it's someone they're already familiar with and not a total stranger. That should help ease their minds a little at least, right?" Aster asked reasonably.

"It's not that. You don't understand. I'm worried that they'll think I've been purposely trying to hide this from them once they find out I've been seeing you for this long without telling them. We're used to being friends together in a group and none of us had been seeing anyone. So, I don't want them to get the wrong idea and think that I'm going to start forgetting about them just because I have a boyfriend now." Alexis explained.

"You're worried because this will be a new situation for all of you." Aster clarified.

"That about sums it up, I guess." Alexis agreed.

"I don't think you need to worry, though. They're your friends, so I don't think they will be upset with you over this. Not telling them would be worse. And I'll try to do everything I can to make this easier for you, Alexis. I'm always here for you." Aster said softly, giving Alexis' hand a reassuring squeeze.

Alexis smiled warmly in return at Aster's reassurance. It was at times like this that she was reminded again just how lucky she was to be with him.

Xxx

When Alexis and Aster arrived at small, grassy clearing where they had agreed to meet the others, they found Jaden, Syrus, Hassleberry, and Bastion already there. Thankfully, Chazz was not with them, but Alexis supposed that he wouldn't be now that he seemed to be glued to the Society of Light 24-7. Either way, she was glad to avoid him for the moment. Word that she was dating Aster was going to get out eventually and Chazz was not one of the persons whose reaction she was particularly looking forward to what with his unrequited crush on her.

"Hey, Aster! Good to see ya, buddy! Oh, and you too, Alexis. Glad you could make it." Jaden greeted cheerfully. The others followed the greeting casually.

Alexis noticed that not one of her friends seemed to have paid any attention to the fact that she had arrived with Aster. Inwardly, she sighed. Sure, sometimes Jaden and his other friends could be a bit…oblivious when it came to things like this, but this just made things even harder. Alexis had been hoping that someone would have said something to draw attention to them so that they would have an easy opening to tell them. But it looked like she would have to get the ball rolling herself by bringing up the topic herself.

"So, just what is the new development with the society that you wanted to tell me about, Jaden?" Aster asked.

"I dueled one of the society members the other day and noticed something pretty interesting. But it's kind of a long story, so I hope you're ready." Jaden answered.

Seizing the opportunity while it was still there, Alexis decided to speak up. She wanted to get this over with as soon as possible instead of having it loom over her during their entire conversation about the Society of Light.

"Um, before we go any further, I thought I'd bring up another um, new development first." Alexis announced nervously.

Five pairs of eyes turned to Alexis, suddenly making her the center of attention. Aster was wearing an amused smile while the others' expressions were of mild curiosity.

"Okay? Well, we're all ears, Lex. So, what is it?" Jaden asked.

"Well… Umm, that is to say… There's a reason why I came here with Aster." Alexis started awkwardly. God, just why was it so hard to get her mouth (not to mention her brain as well) to function properly!?

Jaden and his friends just continued to stare blankly at Alexis, still unable to even take a guess at what was really going on here.

"The reason is that Aster and I are, well…seeing each other. As a couple." Alexis revealed. There. She had finally said it.

A brief, awkward silence reigned among the group. It was probably less than a minute long, but to Alexis, it felt like it lasted an eternity.

Jaden was the first to respond to the news. "Wow, Alexis! You're dating a pro duelist! That is so cool! That means you could get an inside look at anything that goes on in the leagues if Aster tells you!" He said excitedly.

"As long as it doesn't give away any of my strategies, it's true that I don't mind sharing with her." Aster said amusedly.

"Have you gone to see any of his matches!?" Jaden asked.

"A few. But we've had to be careful about being seen together since we're trying to not be seen by the public until we're ready. That's why we haven't said anything to you guys until now. The best way to do this is to do it slowly. But I'm sorry for not telling you earlier." Alexis apologized.

"No need to apologize, Lex. We're all friends here. You're telling us now so that it will be easier for all us to take it in at the right time, not because you wanted to hide it from us." Jaden said reassuringly. The others nodded and murmured in agreement.

"And that is a very good idea. I imagine you two would cause quite a sensation in the media once word gets out that you are together. The Queen of Obelisk Blue and the Prince of the Pro Leagues, as you are sometimes referred to. You both draw enough attention as individuals as it is." Bastion commented thoughtfully.

"But for all the wrong reasons." Alexis complained.

"And that is why we have been trying to start out discretely with this by only starting with the people that we know best first. So, we would appreciate it if none of you says anything about us until everyone else finds out." Aster explained. Jaden and the others nodded in agreement.

"Man, situations like this sure can put a downer on celebrity life. But aren't there some other people who should know about this too, Private Lexi? What about your family? I'm sure Atticus would at least like to hear this news with how gung-ho he's been about you joining his whole singing idol team gig. Well, now you got someone who can net you more fame than that ever could, so he won't be able to get on your back about _that _anymore!" Hassleberry joked.

There was an uncomfortable, silent pause as Alexis and Aster exchanged looks.

"Atticus wasn't exactly thrilled when he found out about us." Alexis said uncomfortably.

"Really? But why!? I thought he'd be the most excited about this with how he's always trying to convince you to get into dating!" Syrus said in surprise.

"Atticus sees me as the dangerous celebrity bad boy who's just out to corrupt his little sister and toss her aside as a fling." Aster scoffed.

"But that's not true! I mean, okay, so maybe we haven't known each other that long yet. But I can still tell you're a pretty good guy, Aster. This doesn't sound like Atticus. Do you think that maybe the Society of Light got to him?" Jaden insisted, struggling to understand.

Aster sighed inwardly at Jaden's innocence. "You have yet to learn the complexity behind situations like this, I'm afraid. Either way, I do appreciate the vote of confidence, Jaden." He said somewhat tiredly.

"Atty isn't possessed by the Light. Trust me, I'd know if he was. He just doesn't like guys who are more popular than himself, especially if they have anything to do with me." Alexis said ruefully. What she had said was true, but they didn't need to know about the rest of the truth behind the matter either.

"Atticus isn't the only one you need to worry about. He might be in the society, but I reckon that Chazz won't be too happy once he finds out you've stolen his crush, soldier. Heck, it's probably even worse _because_ of that, now that I think of it. He might just send his whole army of those nutjobs after you." Hassleberry warned Aster.

"Heh, too bad for that loser. Maybe he would have had a better chance if he had been able to talk to Alexis like a normal human being instead of just ogling her for no real reason beyond some mindless crush." Aster scoffed.

Aster had heard enough from Alexis about Chazz' ridiculous attempt last year to woo her in a duel along with carrying the torch for her since then like a common fanboy with holding up signs and other forms of shallow swooning. It was that type of over-the-top behavior displayed towards Alexis that annoyed Aster. Being a celebrity duelist himself, he knew all too well what it was like to be treated as more of an object than a person. Maybe Chazz was just in an awkward prepubescent stage that made it harder for him to figure out the real intentions behind his feelings for a girl and how he should go about properly expressing them. But Aster didn't have the patience to watch him grow up enough to figure it out for himself. As far as he was concerned, Chazz was nothing but a nuisance and he would have to get it through his head that Alexis was with him now. And he especially wasn't going to let Chazz pull anymore stunts like the one at the duel arena where he had tried to brainwash Alexis.

Alexis bristled a little bit at Aster's words. Sure, Chazz could be annoying sometimes, but he didn't deserve to be insulted like that. She was tempted to shake off Aster's arm-which was secured in what felt like an almost possessive gesture-from around her waist. But she didn't want to cause a scene in front of the others.

"Come to think of it, that must be why you flipped out at everyone and stopped Alexis' duel with him. You liked her even then, didn't you!?" Syrus teased gleefully.

"I did not "flip out". But yes, I did like her even though we weren't going out then yet. I care about Alexis a lot. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here with her right now telling you guys that we're together. And that makes stopping the Society of Light all the more important. For the people we care about to be safe as well." Aster explained. He couldn't stop his face from flushing a little in irritation and embarrassment from Syrus' teasing.

"Aster…" Alexis trailed off softly, genuinely touched by her boyfriend's words. If he looked embarrassed, it was nothing compared to how Alexis looked now with the bright, crimson flush her cheeks had taken on. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, causing him to smile reassuringly at her.

"Ahh, young love. What a wonderful feeling indeed." Bastion mused almost to himself. No doubt that this was also reminding him of the feelings he had experienced for a certain Amazoness woman last year.

"Enough already. We need to get down to business already. So, Jaden. Tell me what happened the other day with that society duelist you mentioned when you called me earlier." Aster said, quickly changing.

Okay, but it's sort of a long story…" Jaden said.

Jaden began to tell his story. How Chazz had set up a duel for him with the arcade game expert and fellow society member, Lorenzo. Jaden had managed to defeat Lorenzo and end things on a good note despite the latter still being in the society. Until the Light somehow…came back?

"But how is that possible? You said that Lorenzo was already in the Society of Light to begin with. So, since you defeated him, wouldn't that have had the opposite effect instead?" Aster asked in confusion.

"I know, I was confused too at first. But the thing is, I don't think that Lorenzo was really even in the Society of Light to begin with. He didn't mention it near as much as the other guys that I've dueled, and he actually was having fun during our duel." Jaden explained.

"You mean to say that you think he was a member, but maybe not actually possessed by the Light itself?" Aster suggested.

"I dunno, maybe he joined up with it just because he thought it was cool or something, so he wasn't really brainwashed. That sure changed after the duel, though… But it got me thinking: what if there are others like Lorenzo was who just joined voluntarily?" Jaden speculated.

"Interesting. If there are more, than maybe we could be in a position to find out more from them about what Sartorious is planning." Aster said.

"That's right! If we can isolate the pretenders from the real members, then that could make things a whole lot easier for us if the latter isn't as large as we had thought. Maybe there's still time to convince more people to stay away from the Society of Light." Alexis said excitedly.

"It's a start, for sure. But now we have to figure out how to go about investigating this." Aster said.

"Dueling might just make more of the pretenders become real members, so I don't know. But maybe it would do the opposite and bring anyone possessed back out of their trance." Jaden suggested.

"I think we need to observe everybody more first before we start weeding out any possibilities. I think we should plan a way to sneak into the Blue dorm." Aster proposed.

"Ra also has more than a few society members these days, I'm afraid to say. So, I'll be able to get a good look into there myself." Bastion said. Aster couldn't help noticing that his voice had taken on a slightly bitter edge at the mention of his other dorm members.

"And we have Alexis for the Obelisk girls' dorm so that we won't have to risk getting in trouble for going in there!" Syrus announced cheerfully.

Alexis felt uncomfortable. As it was now, she was hardly at the dorm anymore since she started spending her nights on Aster's yacht.

"Alexis moved out of the dorms a little while ago. She's staying with me now." Aster announced simply, as if he had somehow read Alexis' thoughts.

The others looked at Aster in surprise, but there was also a slight understanding in Syrus', Bastion's, and Hassleberry's expressions. They weren't as clueless as Jaden when it came to relationships, so they at least could have an idea of what things a couple could be doing together when staying under the same roof.

_Did he have to tell everyone like that!? _Alexis thought to herself in agony. Her face felt like it could have fried an egg now with how hard she was blushing.

"Maybe that's a safer idea for now with how the practically the whole dorm has been taken over. This way you can still find out things since you're allowed there anyways, but you have somewhere to go if it looks like something might happen." Jaden reasoned, oblivious to any possible implications of Alexis' living arrangement.

Xxx

After a little while longer, the meeting broke up and everyone disbanded for the day. Alexis walked alongside Aster in silence, but once they were out of sight of anyone else, she turned on him.

"You didn't have to tell them that we're sleeping together, you know!" Alexis said resentfully.

"Well, it's not like I told them _all _the details, so what is wrong with them just knowing that we are staying together? You heard Jaden. It's not safe to live in a place filled with all those cultists full-time. You're better off with me." Aster insisted.

"It's not just about implying too much about our relationship. I was staying at the Slifer dorm before when this all first started happening, so I don't want them to think I was lying about when I was back in Obelisk for a little while after that before we got together. It might hurt their feelings." Alexis explained.

"Hurt their feelings? They should understand that you would want to stay with me instead of going back to their dorm. That dump is no place for a lady." Aster said scornfully.

"You don't need to talk about it like that, Aster! Just because it's not all big and fancy like your yacht or penthouse doesn't mean that anyone can't enjoy living there. We're all friends who have a lot of memories built from being there, and that's why we worked so hard to protect it from being torn down. And besides, the room where I was staying was redone, so it was nicer than most of the others." Alexis argued.

"You mean the room that Chazz built. Yeah, think I don't know about that? All the more reason for you not to be there. What if he decided to come back? I don't want to take anymore chances of the society getting to you, Alexis." Aster said seriously.

When Alexis didn't answer him, Aster walked directly in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"Look, I'm sorry for being so blunt back there. I just feel like it's easier to say what's on my mind more whenever it comes to you because I don't want there to be any misunderstandings about my feelings. Atticus was bad enough, so I didn't want your friends also thinking this is all just some game for me. Because it's not." Aster explained. There was a look of intensity in his eyes that made Alexis feel a bit breathless.

"I know it's not…" Alexis agreed softly, her voice barely more than whisper.

Without further hesitation, Aster and Alexis leaned in closer to each other for a kiss. They took their time, their lips softly pressing against each other while their hands periodically wandered and caressed different areas of their bodies; up and down each other's arms, threading and stroking their hair. It was a priceless moment of quiet passion between them that they didn't want to end.

In that moment, Aster knew that he had almost let things get out of control between him and Alexis with their argument, even if it was brief. He needed to make things clear to her about just how much she meant to him so that there wouldn't be any more misunderstandings about his words or actions. A nice, long date for them somewhere that would break the ice and let them enjoy themselves and relax properly. And then he would tell her the truth afterwards. It was time and Aster didn't want to wait any longer to tell Alexis just how much he loved her.

**AN: Long wait here and I'm sorry about that. As I'm sure you've noticed, there was some more relationship conflict here. Aster can be a bit possessive with Alexis, but that is because he's afraid of losing her like he has with other people if he doesn't hang on tight. Also, the whole Prince of the Pro Leagues thing is Aster's real Pro League nickname from the Japanese version. (Can't remember if it was in the dub.) I like using it because it fits so well with Alexis' whole Queen of Obelisk Blue thing. I know that Royalshipping is the name for ZanexAlexis (especially with Kaiser for emperor), but I feel like it would have suited AsterxAlexis too with their titles. Anyways, next time is a date at KaibaLand, so you will see some certain cameos. Also, if anyone really wants them, I could put the parts I edited out of this story into my other one, The Obelisk Queen and the Prince of the Pro Leagues, and just label them as from here. But there has to be a demand for it. As in, you actually have to tell me that you want me to do it. XD But's that really only offered because I don't like to leave things undone if I can find a way not to. This story is fine without all that and everyone seems to still enjoy it enough, I'm glad to say.**

**Kias-That was actually a mistake that I typed that and I had meant to put that I was NOT upset about the changes to this story. But I guess you saw that before I edited the AN. XD And don't worry, I wasn't mad about your counter reviews. But since the arguments from the "guest" continued with another reviewer even more, I've set the guest reviews to moderation so that we don't need to see that again. I haven't heard from them since I left that last review, but I don't want to take any more chances. The reviews were disruptive to the people actually trying to enjoy the story, so you won't be seeing the "guest" anymore. And the same goes for anyone with an account if they pull something like that. It's really sad that I've had to do this, but messing with my reviewers is a no and I'm sick of the pairing hate rants.**

**Jen- Thanks so much! I'm honored that you like this that much! I'll try to update this a bit faster if I can. **


	20. Chapter 20

"So, how do I look? Do you think anyone will take the time to see through this? Or should I go with my usual disguise?" Aster asked Alexis.

Aster was wearing an outfit that consisted of casual-looking blue jeans and a dark blue T-shirt, along with a blue jean jacket over it. His sneakers, like the rest of his attire, were also an expensive designer brand. Even though he was trying to disguise himself, Aster hadn't been able to not flaunt his wealth just a bit with his ensemble. To top it off, he was wearing a baseball cap with the brim over his head and sunglasses to conceal his face as much as possible.

"You look like someone trying not to be noticed. But I guess the sunglasses won't look as suspicious considering the weather today. And at least it's better than the hoodie. You look like you're in a gang whenever you wear that..." Alexis answered wryly.

Aster couldn't help chuckling at his girlfriend's reaction. "Trust me, the crowds that would show up if someone recognized me would almost make you wish we were facing a gang instead." He joked.

They would be going on their biggest outing yet today: the Kaiba Land amusement park. Even with the precautions Aster was taking, there was still a very real chance that it would get out to the public that he and Alexis were a couple if his cover was blown. But this was just another step closer to that eventual reveal for them. Aster wanted to give Alexis the most fun date that he could, and what better way than them getting to be kids again in a place like Kaiba Land? Then once the day was over, he had a plan to finally tell Alexis how he really felt about her. Everything was set. Now he just needed to put it into motion the right way…

"I think I can risk it. I'm just happy that you feel comfortable enough to go out with me in a place with so many people. We've been mostly playing it safe until now, so this is a big step for us." Alexis said thoughtfully.

"Well, everyone will know the truth soon enough, so we might as not worry about it happening a little earlier than we intended if it comes to that today." Aster reasoned. Little did Alexis know just _how _big of a step he would truly be taking once he told her the truth tonight…

Xxx

A few hours later, Alexis and Aster were walking side by side down the main area of Kaiba Land. Since Aster had lifetime passes to the park, they had been able to get in for free. So far already today, they had gone on a few rides and toured a lot of the exhibits going on, as well as visiting the various game and refreshment stands set up. Aster had even won Alexis a Blue-Eyes White Dragon plushy from the ring toss game. Now, after stopping for lunch at one of the restaurants, Aster had decided that it was time for a little hands-on dueling action.

"Here we are, the Kaiba Corp. Legendary Duelists' Hall of Fame. Holographic technology has evolved even more since those days, so this is meant to make you feel like you are actually dueling one of these guys yourself." Aster explained. He pointed towards the various arenas set up around the room. Across from each duelist in them were holographic projections of famous duelists from the old famous tournaments of years ago like Duelist Kingdom and Battle City.

"Attack, Blue-Eyes! White Lightning!" A very convincing hologram of Seto Kaiba himself shouted from across the dueling platform. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon roared as it proceeded to blast apart the duelist's monster with a beam from its mouth.

"Ha, ha, ha! You're a third-rate duelist with a fourth-rate deck!" The Kaiba hologram gloated. The quality of its voice was identical to the real Kaiba, yet it didn't have the same canny quality that a recording could tend to possess. If Alexis hadn't been able to see the vague, shimmery transparency of the hologram by looking at it closely enough, then she would have believed that Seto Kaiba himself had stepped out of a time machine.

"So, what do you think? They're somethin' else, aren't they?" Aster asked casually.

"I'll say. But you better be careful. Become _too _famous and they might just have a hologram of you down here in another ten years." Alexis teased Aster.

Aster chuckled slightly in embarrassment. "I don't think that would be for me." He joked.

"Oh, really now? Because I can just imagine it already: "My Destiny Heroes are far superior to the Elemental Heroes! Ha, ha, ha!" Come on, you know it's what you _really _want, Aster!" Alexis taunted after finishing her accurate imitation of Aster when he was locked in dueling mode.

Aster pouted as Alexis nudged him playfully in the side with her elbow. "Let's focus on the present right now, shall we? So, who do you want to go up against?" He asked, quickly changing the subject.

Alexis looked around the arena thoughtfully as she sized up her choices. "Hmm… I think I'll go with Yugi." She decided after some short deliberation.

"The King of Games himself, huh? You must be feeling lucky today!" Aster said with a grin.

"He's not _really _Yugi, you know. But why not go for the biggest challenge here?" Alexis reasoned.

"Well, when you put it like that… I like how you think. Go get 'em, Alexis!" Aster said encouragingly.

After flashing a quick smile and a wink at Aster, Alexis got her duel disk and deck ready and climbed up to the dueling platform.

The holographic image of Yugi looking straight out from his Battle City days flashed into life across from Alexis on the other side of the platform. Even though it was just a hologram, she couldn't help grinning to herself in excitement. She had always wondered what it would be like to duel Yugi himself, and this was at least the next best thing.

"So, you are to be my next opponent. Let's both give this duel our all to the best of our abilities. I know that the Heart of the Cards will help me to prevail. Now… IT'S TIME TO DUE-DUE-DUE-DUE-DUE-DUE-DUE-" Suddenly, the Yugi hologram started stuttering and shaking like crazy, his image blurring in and out repeatedly. He seemed to be permanently stuck on the word, "duel".

"Wha- What's going on!?" Alexis asked in alarm. She took a slight step backwards, disturbed by the display before her.

"Looks like a malfunction. Guess Yugi is having a bit of an off day today. They've only just released this level of dueling AIs, so there was bound to be some kinks somewhere." Aster suggested.

"Not again!" A voice from behind them exclaimed in annoyance, causing Aster and Alexis to turn around.

Mokuba Kaiba had rushed out from the office after hearing the report of the malfunctioning. Having grown quite a bit from the lanky child who had always hovered in his brother's shadow, Mokuba was now a good deal taller with his black hair cut into a shorter and more practical style without any ends coming down to his shoulders. He was dressed in dark navy suit and matching tie to match his professional role of Kaiba Corp.'s vice president.

"I'm sorry about this. Seto and the testers were sure that the prototype for these was successful enough to go ahead with the general release. But we still have problems every once in a great while. To make up for it, you can have this pass so that you don't have to wait in any of the lines today." Mokuba apologized. He handed Alexis a small piece of paper with the VIP initials and Kaiba Corp.'s logo printed on it.

"Oh, that's okay. I'm sure it's hard to keep track of all this. But thanks for this, anyway." Alexis said reassuringly as she took the pass that Mokuba offered her.

"Yeah, don't sweat it, dude. There's still plenty of other things here on the agenda for us to enjoy." Aster said with a casual brush of his hand.

Mokuba looked relieved, but before he could respond, a light beeping sound emitted from him. He touched the tie of his suit in response.

"Mokuba, what's going on?" The voice of Seto Kaiba came from what must have been a communication device embedded in Mokuba's tie.

"Bad news, Seto. There are a couple of malfunctions again with the virtual duelists down at the Action Arena. I'm assessing the situation now." Mokuba reported grimly.

"Damn it. I hate to say it, but we may need to close this attraction down for a while until we've gone through another round of tests. I had thought that they would be ready by now after all the overseeing I did, but I guess we're not there yet… How many cases are there?" Kaiba said carefully.

"Just two. Phoenix and his girlfriend seem to have gotten the worst of it." Mokuba answered.

Alexis couldn't help feeling a little surge of excitement at Mokuba referring to her as Aster's girlfriend. While it was true that she was nervous about their status getting out to the public worldwide, there was something nice about hearing someone else mentioning it. But she couldn't help wondering just how Mokuba had come to that conclusion so easily. She knew that Aster worked on a few charity projects occasionally with the brothers. But did he really tell them about her, or was it just that obvious that they were a couple?

Before Alexis had time to ponder over Mokuba's words any longer, Kaiba replied. "Okay, that's an improvement over the last times, at least. But, um, are any of them…me?" He said somewhat self-consciously, lowering his voice at the question.

Mokuba glanced over to one of the other platforms where a duelist had taken a step back and was looking on awkwardly as the hologram of Marik Ishtar (or at least what he had looked like during his matches in the Battle City Finals) continued to belt out a maniacal laugh of "HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAH!".

"No, not this time, bro." Mokuba reassured his brother.

"Okay. Close down the platforms with the issues and be sure to reimburse those customers." Kaiba commanded.

"I'm on it, Seto. Over and out." Mokuba replied. He then pressed his tie once more to sever the communication.

"I've got to get back to work now. But just know that Kaiba Corp. appreciates your patronage and understanding. Oh, and Aster. Seto told me to tell you that that thing you and he talked about before is all ready now." Mokuba said, becoming a bit cryptic at his last detail.

Aster's face lit up with excitement and relief at Mokuba's words. "Really!? That's great! Tell him I said thanks, will you?" He said happily.

"Will do! See you later then." Mokuba said quickly. He then left them.

"So, what was all that about?" Alexis asked curiously.

"Just some fundraiser they've been helping me with that's been hard to get some of the details going for it. I'll explain later." Aster answered casually.

"Okay." Alexis agreed. She had a feeling there was more to it than that because of how vague Aster was, but she decided not to press it right now. He may have been able to fool a lot of other people with his evasion tactics, but Alexis had been around Aster long enough to read the signs from him.

Xxx

Not long after they had left the dueling arena, Alexis and Aster had done a little shopping and were now relaxing by a tree off to the side with some sodas. Except for the snag with the dueling holograms, it had been a great date for them. And now that they were winding down and getting ready to call it a day, Aster was starting to think more about his confession. Getting able to be kids for a day seemed to be an icebreaker for them and Alexis seemed a lot more relaxed than she had in a while. Aster was starting to feel like he just might be able to pull this off later once they got home. Or so he thought…

When the conversation had hit a lull, two girls who had been eyeing Aster off and on for a while from over by the fountain where they had been hanging out got up and sauntered over to him. They were dressed in skimpy outfits consisting of cut-off shorts and miniskirts that barely covered any of their legs and tight-fitting sleeveless shirts with spare room for their cleavage to show.

"Hey, Aster. Haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?" The blonde girl asked in an easy tone.

"Yeah, we didn't expect to see you in a place like this with all the people around. Nice outfit." The red-headed girl joked lightly. She ran her hand lightly down Aster's arm; a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Alexis.

For a moment, Aster looked a little awkward with his situation. But he quickly brushed it off and went into "fan mode". "Nina, Katt. It's good to see you guys again. Enjoying Kaiba Corp.'s finest form of entertainment?" He greeted them easily like they were old pals.

"The rides are cool, but I swear, these games are rigged to squeeze every last ounce of money off you." Nina-the blonde girl-said ruefully.

Aster laughed lightly at Nina's words. "Doesn't that sum up just about every amusement park?" He joked.

"Yeah, we're done with that for the day. But that doesn't mean we still can't have some more fun. We're on our way back to our hotel now. What do you say, Aster? Feel like joining us for a bit?" Katt offered, lowering her voice in a seductive manner at the end of her question. She brushed her leg lightly against Aster's, causing his face to heat up uncomfortably. By now, Alexis looked like she could have shot the Blue-Eyes' attack beams right out of her eyes.

"Yeah, we could have a lot of fun. Just like the last time. Remember?" Nina said coyly.

Aster finally seemed to regain his senses. "I'm sorry, but I'm kind of on a date here. So, I'm gonna have to pass, ladies." He apologized, trying to make his voice sound light and breezy so as not to make the situation even worse than it already was.

Nina and Katt finally took notice of Alexis' presence. Or maybe they had just been pretending that she wasn't there the whole time until Aster had finally said something? Alexis didn't know, but more than anything, she just wanted them gone. She realized that they must be some of the girls that Atticus had told her that Aster had been with before during his Pro League tours. Girls that weren't shy about offering him some fun on the side.

"Oh. Are you his girlfriend?" Katt asked casually.

Alexis didn't like how Nina and Katt were looking at her. While they sounded friendly enough, at the same time, their smiles looked almost condescending. She had seen girls look at her like this before. They were sizing her up. She could almost hear them thinking to themselves: _This one's probably a pushover, but she's got quite a rack on her. _Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Yes, I am his girlfriend, obviously! So, I would appreciate it very much if you simps would quit feeling him up right in front of me and leave us alone so we can get back to our date!" Alexis said angrily.

"Oooh~ She got all serious! How uncool!" Nina teased, causing Katt to snicker.

"Don't worry about us. We wouldn't expect anything after Aster told us that already. Although we wouldn't have minded if you were willing to share…" Katt said easily.

"Yeah. After all, it's not like there aren't still plenty of other hot Pro League duelists available out there. Like that Hell Kaiser. He's pretty yummy." Nina said. She licked her lips slightly at the mention of Zane.

"Yeah! What I would do to get me some of _that_!" Katt agreed deviously.

Aster couldn't help letting out a snort of laughter, causing Nina and Katt to dissolve into giggles. Alexis glared at him. She didn't understand why Aster was acting so stupid. Why couldn't he just _say something _instead of standing there like an idiot!?

"Alright, I believe we are done here for the today! Aster!?" Alexis snapped at her boyfriend.

"Oh, um, right! Yeah, we gotta go now." Aster said awkwardly.

"Alright. It was _so _nice seeing you again, Aster!" Nina said in a sugary tone.

"Yeah, have fun, you guys!" Katt said happily.

Before leaving, Katt turned to Alexis and whispered conspiratorially to her in a not-so-quiet voice. "Don't let his nice suit and tie fool you. This one loves to go _wild_, if you know what I mean." She said with a knowing smile.

"Don't worry, Katt. Knowing Aster, I'm sure she already knows for herself by now." Nina said in amusement. After a quick wave and smile towards Aster, she and Katt finally left.

As soon as Nina and Katt were out of sight, Alexis turned on Aster. He was in trouble big time and he knew it.

"Just what the _hell _was all that about, Aster!?" Alexis asked furiously.

"What do you think? They were just some flings from before I met you who got a kick out of seeing me with someone now, that's all. It's nothing to get upset about, Alexis." Aster tried to reason.

"Then please tell me just what it is I am _not _supposed to get upset about here, Aster! To run into a couple of shameless sluts you've been with before and watch them grope you while you just stand there like nothing is wrong and let it happen!? Why didn't you just tell them that I'm your girlfriend!?" Alexis raged.

Aster raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I had thought that you didn't want us to say anything about that yet, Alexis. I know it was awkward and I apologize for that, but I was trying to respect your wishes. As it is, I wouldn't be surprised if we somehow ended up on the six o' clock news now after that." He answered, trying to remain calm.

"Who cares as long as it gets rid of people like that faster!? And you were way too nice to them! "Sorry, I'm on a date here." What do you mean you're sorry!?" Alexis continued, giving an ugly, nasally sounding imitation of Aster's earlier words.

"Look, like it or not, I have to be polite to my fans." Aster pointed out.

"Oh, you've been more than polite enough to them based on what they said. I'm sure they're big fans of what you did for them in the bedroom, if anything." Alexis complained.

"What do you want from me, Alexis!? I already apologized and it's not like you have anything to feel threatened about. That was in the past. I'm with you now, and I don't want anyone else, whether it's for dating or anything else." Aster said in frustration.

"I want to know just how many girls you've fucked before you were with me." Alexis demanded bluntly. She was taking this too far and she knew it. But it was too late to stop now. She was on a roll. It suddenly felt like all the hidden insecurities and questions she had had about Aster had boiled over and exploded. How she would wonder just _how _he had gotten so good at what he did to her when they were alone together. Just what this secret life of his that Atticus had hinted to her really involved. All the things she would wonder and worry about on occasion but had never been able to work up the courage to start a conversation with Aster about.

"Okay, fair enough. I suppose this conversation was due to happen eventually. Let's just say that it's not any more than I can count on my hand and leave it at that. Now, is there anything else you'd like to know about my past sexual history? Like what kind of underwear they had? Or perhaps how long we did it or what positions we used? I'm sorry, Alexis. But I don't really go for the jealous treatment." Aster vented. It was getting harder for him to try to be patient with Alexis about this. He didn't understand why she was going on and on like this. It wasn't like he had cheated on her.

"That's pretty rich coming from you. You practically throw a fit any time I want to spend some time with my friends, or even just if I mention them sometimes. Yet I'm supposed to just be all hunky-dory with girls throwing themselves at you right in front of me!" Alexis countered.

"That is not true! I've been perfectly civil to them, and you know it! Just when have I ever even said that I didn't want you spending any time with them!?" Aster argued.

"Does the Slifer Dorm ring any bells?" Alexis asked snidely.

"That's different. I haven't ever tried to discourage you from spending time with them outside of anything related to living arrangements." Aster said.

"It doesn't matter what you say, Aster! Just the way you react speaks for itself. If I don't keep the topic on us nearly 24-7, I know you wouldn't be able to handle it!" Alexis insisted.

Before Aster could say anything else, an excited shout came from somewhere behind them. "OH, MY GOD! IT'S ASTER PHOENIX!" An ecstatic female voice shouted. Clearly, Alexis had been loud enough with dropping his name to draw enough attention for someone to recognize him.

"Oh, shit..." Aster muttered under his breath. Excited murmurs and shouts-mostly from girls-amplified around them as a crowd started moving in on him. It was total pandemonium.

Aster turned back around to see Alexis starting to walk away from him.

"Wait! Where are you going!?" Aster asked as he tried to keep pace with Alexis' angry strides.

"For a walk. I want to be alone right now. So, don't follow me, Aster. Besides, your public awaits you and I wouldn't want to keep you from them." Alexis said firmly, adding a sarcastic edge to her last sentence. Without another word, she continued to walk briskly away from him.

"No! Alexis, wait! Come back!" Aster called out in vain. But it was too late. He could only stand by and look on helplessly as he was swallowed up by the sea of his fans.

To be continued…

**AN: Sorry for the long wait here! I know what you're thinking. Another argument, right? Sorry, but it needed to happen. But this is not a break-up, and it will get resolved in the next chapter. So, don't worry. I can't say that the drama is over, though. Once we're done with the next chapter, it's time for the canon school field trip with the tag duel against Sarina. It is during this time that Aster will finally confess his real feelings to Alexis. So, for the ones who are waiting for that, just try to bear with me and hang on a little longer. I am getting there! Xd (Oh, and a funny thing: The Yugi hologram malfunction is based on a Youtube video of him stuck in about an hour-long loop of "It's time to duel!" XD)**

**Kias- Yeah, I don't understand it when people say they only want Alexis with Jaden, but the OC is still okay? Zane and Alexis. I remember that. Just what happened to Royalshipping, anyway? It seems to have pretty much just died a miserable death. :( In the original version, it sort of takes the wind out of the sails of that ship during a scene where Alexis tells Zane that he is like a brother to her. But I still like to believe that they have a unique type of communication that they alone share. Romantic subtext with Atticus? The Yugioh series like to get dramatic with their sibling bonds, but I'm afraid I never saw any further than that. Still, it is pretty damn sad that it is even more popular to ship her with her own brother than with Aster. It is very hard to "win" with Rareshipping. On one side, the people who only ship Alexis with Jaden won't like it. And on the other, it is usually people who hate it just because Aster isn't paired up with Zane, Sartorius or insert-any-male-GX-character-name-here, and they usually only want Alexis with Chazz or Jim. But seriously, I don't get it either. I've seen her paired up with just about all the other GX guys (and Blair) outside of Chumley and Axel more than Aster. I don't understand the aversion to this pairing, especially since he is the one who has the most in common with her. But hey, that's why I'm writing this. Because if I don't, chances are nobody else will. XD**


	21. Chapter 21

Alexis silently fumed to herself as she walked in quick strides to place more distance between herself and Aster. How could he be so insensitive to not even understand just how much it hurt her to not even _try _to appear offended by those bimbos!? Was he embarrassed to admit to anyone that she was his girlfriend!? And then to find out just how many girls he had slept with before. Sure, she had assumed that he had had prior experience in _that _department. But to actually hear him confirm her suspicions so easily hurt more than she had thought it would. She couldn't help wondering if maybe all this with Aster and her had been a mistake to begin with… As much as she loved him, Alexis was still worried that it wasn't the same for Aster. He could _like _her enough to enjoy her company, but that didn't mean he could feel anything deeper. Either way, Alexis felt like she just needed some time away from Aster to cool down a bit and get her thoughts under control. And she didn't want to be anywhere near that mob of fans that ambushed him either.

As she started to feel a little calmer, Alexis finally stopped to notice her surroundings more…and realized that she had no idea just where the heck she was now. She couldn't be that far from Kaiba Land, but since she wasn't too familiar with the area around it itself, it was hard to tell whether she had taken a wrong turn. Otherwise, it would be as simple as turning back and heading in the opposite direction to get back. Right now, she looked to be on a more secluded street. It was set back a little from the road with a few residential homes and small stores scattered around. But there were also bigger-looking houses that looked more community-based.

Alexis was walking along a tall brick border surrounding one of the larger buildings when she heard a voice behind her. "Well, well. If it isn't the Queen of Obelisk Blue herself. Fancy meeting you here, Alexis." The male voice greeted her in an arrogant tone.

Alexis was surprised to see Harrington Rosewood standing behind her. He had been one of her more obsessive admirers last year at Duel Academy, even going so far as to challenging Jaden to a duel to "decide" which of them got to be her fiancée. Thankfully, he had given up on her after Jaden defeated him. Alexis had never liked Harrington's attitude and how he would talk about her as if she wasn't even there and just some prize to claim. So, she was quite glad that last year had been his last year at school too before he graduated. With that last thought though, Alexis realized what the buildings around her must be. They were probably sorority houses, one of which Harrington probably was from.

"Can't say I share the sentiment. I'm sorry, Harrington, but I'm busy now, so I don't have time for this." Alexis said sharply.

Harrington walked up to Alexis until he was standing in front of her, forcing her to look at him. "Oh, come on. Don't be like that. I've always been your biggest fan after all." He said with an exaggerated, hurt expression.

"Well, I don't want any fans, so this conversation is over now." Alexis said in irritation. She then turned away and started to leave.

Before Alexis could even take a few steps, Harrington grabbed her roughly by the arm and pushed her up against the brick wall. She didn't even have a chance to process what was happening before he had pinned both of her arms to the side, trapping her.

"You always were a little bitch that thought you were too good for anyone else!" Harrington hissed furiously. His face was close enough to Alexis' that she could smell his breath, and it reeked with alcohol.

"L-let me go!" Alexis managed to stammer. She tried to make herself sound in control, but the fear that had overtaken her just made her voice come out more as a frightened-sounding squeak more than anything else.

Harrington snickered cruelly. "I don't think so! It's time you started learning some respect. So, I am gonna have some fun with you whether you like it or not!" He said triumphantly.

Alexis felt like she was stuck in a nightmare. It didn't feel real, yet at the same time, the terror was all too present. She tried to will herself to fight back. To pull away, scream, _something_. But her body didn't seem to want to comply in any way. She wished desperately that she hadn't had that argument with Aster now. Heck, she even wished that she were back there right now in it instead. Compared to this, what had happened with Aster seemed trivial now. Who cared if he had acted a little flakey around some old one-night stands of his!? Aster would still never stoop to something like _this_. If only she had stayed and tried to talk things out with him instead of just blowing up like that… Then this wouldn't be happening at all right now.

Before Harrington could do anything else to Alexis, he was pulled away from Alexis and slammed roughly against the bricked wall. With a shock, Alexis saw that her savior was Aster, and he was looking angrier than she had ever seen him before.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO HER!?" Aster yelled furiously. The expression he wore looked absolutely murderous. If looks could kill, no doubt Harrington would have been dead and buried ten times over.

For a moment, Harrington looked taken by surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. "Oh, what's this? What happened to your little tennis pal, Alexis? Let me guess, you got bored with him since he wasn't up to your standards and decided you needed to aim higher?" He joked nastily to Alexis.

It took Alexis a moment to realize that the "tennis pal" Harrington was referring to was Jaden. She was appalled that a guy like this who just saw girls as trophies to be won would bring her down to the same level.

Before Alexis could even come up with a proper response to voice her outrage at Harrington's questions, he continued, this time directing his words at Aster. "Whatever. You already have enough girls waiting in line to suck your dick, Phoenix. So, step off and let me have this one." He sneered.

"Sorry, but I closed the line once I met Alexis. So, the only one who is going to be doing the stepping off is you, you scumbag." Aster said threateningly.

Harrington made a move to try to punch Aster, but he was too fast for him. Aster dodged quickly and retaliated with a sharp punch of his own to Harrington's stomach. Then, while he was still doubled over and wheezing, Aster grabbed his arm and pulled his hand back hard, causing a sick cracking noise.

Whimpering in pain, Harrington tried to pull away from Aster's grip to escape, only to be slammed up against the wall again.

"You're not playing Duel Monsters with Jaden Yuki; you're dealing with _me_! And I don't tolerate anyone messing with my girlfriend!" Aster said with a venomous edge in his voice.

Aster punched Harrington hard in the face, causing blood to spray out of his nose. Then, he delivered a swift drop-kick, knocking him to the ground.

"Heh. I guess I should have told you that you were going to be _crawling _off instead of stepping off." Aster said with an amused smirk as he looked down at the cowering form of Harrington, now curled up in a fetal position with his arms covering his head.

"Consider this as a _warning _from me. Because I can promise you that it will be much worse for you if you ever come near Alexis again. Now get out of my sight, you worthless piece of human garbage!" Aster said disgustedly. After giving Harrington one more light kick, he and Alexis watched him crawl away as quickly as he could.

Once Harrington was out of sight, Aster turned to Alexis in concern. "Alexis, are you alright!? Did he do anything to you!?" He asked worriedly.

"I- No. He was just there one minute and then before I knew it, I was cornered…" Alexis trailed off. She still felt as if she were in that moment.

Aster looked at Alexis sympathetically. She was obviously still traumatized. "I'm glad you're not hurt, at least." He said quietly.

"Aster, I'm sorry!" Alexis blurted out.

"Sorry? What for?" Aster asked gently.

"For everything I said back there. I shouldn't have just blown up at you like that! You didn't deserve that. If I had just taken the time to talk to you instead and hear your side of things too, this never would have happened in the first place! But instead, I ended up putting you through all of this and I'm just _so _stupid!" Alexis apologized agonizingly.

Aster placed his hands firmly on Alexis' shoulders, causing her to look straight at him. "That's not true at all, Alexis. Yes, we had a miscommunication in our relationship that led to an argument today. But that does not make what happened to you your fault, so don't ever think that even for a moment. If anything, it's my fault for not being more firm with those two to make my intentions clearer to you." He insisted.

"Either way, I'm still sorry. I just wish this hadn't happened at all…" Alexis said miserably.

"Look, it's obvious that there are still things we need to talk about. So, why don't we head back to my place now?" Aster suggested gently.

Alexis nodded silently in agreement to Aster's suggestion. Without another word, she let him take her by the hand and lead her away from the area.

Xxx

Once they were back at Aster's penthouse for the night, Aster wasted no time in getting Alexis settled comfortably on the living room sofa with a large, fluffy blanket while he made some tea for them. Then, once he had joined her, he started to talk.

"First off, I'm sorry about what happened today with those two at Kaiba Land. I admit it was embarrassing for me since I wasn't expecting that to happen. But I owe you an explanation all the same. So, now's your chance to ask me anything you want about who I spent time with before I met you." Aster offered seriously.

"To be honest, it wasn't so much the not knowing the specifics as it was that it was just hard to see proof of it right there in front of me to see. Believe me, Aster. I was new to all of this when we met. But even I know enough about sex to realize that you wouldn't have been able to make things go as smoothly as you did between us without having some past experience already. It just wasn't something I wanted to think about, so I always put it out of my mind. And then, once I started to like you a lot more, it got even harder to imagine. It was just us, and that was all I could see. So, I was upset today because I was forced to think of what you might have been like before then." Alexis explained.

"So, you're saying that you were upset to see evidence of a side of me that existed before we met because you're afraid that it could be real once you could picture it?" Aster asked carefully.

"No, that's not it exactly. Aster, you need to know that I do trust you in the end. I don't believe that you have been with anyone else since we started seeing each other, or that you want to. I think I was just…upset that that sort of destroyed the image I had somehow made of you before. It was just easier to go on not really thinking about you and other girls. I guess I should have brought it up before, but it was just too embarrassing. I was afraid you'd think I was insecure or suspicious of you." Alexis admitted.

"It's perfectly normal for you to feel uncomfortable about something like this, Alexis. If we had had a conversation about it earlier to get some closure, that whole situation today might not have been half as bad as it was. But it's not your fault. These things happen. For the future, however, please don't hesitate to talk to me about anything. I mean it." Aster insisted.

"Alright…" Alexis agreed slowly.

"So, are you sure there isn't anything else you want to know?" Aster pressed.

"Just one thing. All the girls you were with… Did you…like any of them? I mean, _really _like any of them. Even if it were only short enough to make you believe for just one minute that you could see yourself with them for more?" Alexis asked hesitantly. Even though she trusted Aster, she needed to hear him say whether he had ever had any kind of feelings for someone else, no matter how fleeting.

Aster took Alexis' hands firmly in his own. "No. It has always been you, Alexis. I never felt anything for any of those girls that I do for you. Yes, they were fun to talk with and I enjoyed their company. But once it was over, I didn't feel any desire to stay in contact with them." He said firmly.

For a minute, Alexis felt as if she had forgotten to breathe properly. What Aster had just said along with the intensity of his gaze made her heart feel like it was beating a million miles a minute. Her face heated up until she was sure that it had turned beet red.

_He couldn't possibly mean… _Alexis wondered in disbelief, not able to make herself even _think _the word to herself.

Before she could let herself dwell on the wonderful implication behind Aster's words anymore, Alexis thought of something else that brought her back down to reality.

"But if you weren't even interested in them, why did you end up sleeping with them at all!?" Alexis asked bluntly, struggling to understand.

Aster let out a weary sigh at Alexis' question. Of course, she wouldn't be able to understand this on her own. She was from a different world than him.

"It wasn't something I had exactly planned to happen from the beginning. You need to understand that things are different for me compared to others my age. I've been given a lot more freedom growing up, especially once I got into professional dueling. Even when I wasn't staying here by myself, I always had my own hotel rooms anywhere I went around the world for duels. Simply put, when I'm not dueling or running my schedule, I'm on my own without any kind of supervision. And that freedom can be taken advantage of in many different ways. The first time it happened, one of my fans found me after a duel and we struck up a conversation. But there's only so long you have for those to remain private when you're a celebrity. Going back to my room was the only logical choice for us to keep talking, so I didn't think anything of it. But then, one thing just led to another. And then whenever another chance came up that conveniently after that with others, I took it. I'm not proud of what I did, but in the end, I'm a man and it felt good to have a distraction so that I didn't have to dwell so much on other things. But that all changed when I met you." Aster explained.

"Well, when you put it like that… I guess it makes sense. I can't believe I didn't think of that before myself." Alexis admitted ruefully.

"Then I'm glad that we had this talk. How are you feeling now? A little better?" Aster asked gently.

"About that, yes. But I still can't believe what happened with Harrington. He was always a jerk back when he was still in school last year, but I never thought that he would have tried to go _that _far…" Alexis said sadly as the event came rushing back into her head. She felt as if she could still feel his hands pinning her arms roughly to her sides against the wall. The feelings of absolute fear and powerlessness threatening to overwhelm her once again.

Aster must have picked up on her emotions, because before she knew it, Alexis found herself in the warm embrace of his arms, cradled gently against his chest. She felt herself grow calmer as he gently stroked her hair.

"I know that this is awful for you, Alexis. But you're safe now and I won't let anything else happen to you again. I promise." Aster said soothingly.

"But that's just it! I shouldn't need you or anyone else to come save me! I should have been able to protect myself! Nothing even happened to me and I'm still scared! I'm weak!" Alexis said despairingly.

Aster gently cupped Alexis' chin in his hand so that her face was tilted towards him as he spoke. "Alexis, look at me. You were in a situation you weren't familiar with on your own with very little time to react. Lots of people would feel just the same as you did. And just because there wasn't a chance for anything else to happen to you-thank god-doesn't mean that it still can't be traumatizing all the same. You were scared because someone had control over you in that moment, and that would have remained either way. You are not weak, and this was _not _your fault, I promise you that." He insisted firmly and clearly, willing his words to reach her.

"Aster, I understand what you're trying to say. I just…can't make myself feel the same way. At least not now…" Alexis trailed off helplessly.

"I know… That is going to take time. But you needed to hear it all the same. I'm going to be with you the whole way, Alexis. I promise." Aster said softly, trying his best to sound reassuring.

"Aster… Thank you…" Alexis said quietly. She wanted him to know that despite everything, she was still grateful to have him by her side supporting her like this. She wanted to tell him the full extent of just how deep her feelings ran. But at the same time, she didn't trust herself in the emotional state she was in right now to risk going any further in their relationship.

"Anytime. Now, why don't we try to get some sleep?" Aster suggested gently.

Xxx

A little over an hour later, Aster lay awake in bed. Alexis had fallen asleep easily as soon as they went to bed and was now sleeping peacefully, curled up in his arms. But Aster couldn't bring himself to fall asleep yet. All he could think of was how horribly wrong the day had gone. It pained him to see Alexis suffering like this. If only he had just told her that some fans were approaching to convince her to get up and walk away with him as soon as he saw Nina and Katt. Then none of this would have happened. How could he have been so stupid!? Was he worrying too much about pleasing his fans? Whatever the case, Aster knew that he would have to be a lot more careful from now on.

Aster felt even worse when he thought back to his original plan for the day. Hidden inside his dresser drawer was the small box containing the gift he had bought for Alexis earlier today. While she had been using the rest room, he had slipped into one of the stores at Kaiba Land to purchase it. He had planned to give it to her at the end of the day. The gift that would go along perfectly to further emphasize the confession he had finally been ready to give to her. But now after what had happened to Alexis, the mood was ruined, and Aster was worried that it would just end up being too much for her to process right now. But he would wait until he knew she was ready to know how he felt…

Gently brushing the side of her face with just the tips of his fingers so as not to wake her, Aster leaned in closer to Alexis and whispered softly to her. "Alexis… I love you…"


End file.
